Lights
by crystallica81
Summary: Haunted by his defeat against the Guardians, Pitch lives in misery under children's beds, nothing but a forgotten myth. Promising revenge, Pitch feeds on fears and grows stronger. Manny sees this and appoints a new Guardian, sassy, perky Starla, who puts lights in the sky. Jack and Starla grow closer, but what time is there for love when Nightmares will soon destroy the world?
1. Starla

**Hi everybody! **

**So, yeah. I made that promise way back when that I WOULDN'T start another story while another story was still in progress for the sake of a sad incomplete story floating around the archive. Right. But...I broke that promise. :( **

**I know "The Crystal Thief" is incomplete, but it has, like, 2 more chapters, tops. So I can work on this story now. Hopefully. If I have time. So I would love it if you guys read. ****I LOVE RotG, and I just wanted to write a fanfic about (eeek! Love is in the air!) Jack Frost. ****This is my first Rise of the Guardians fanfiction, please don't be mean in your reviews guys!  
Reviews are appreciated. **

**Enjoy! 3+ reviews and I will update. **

**PS. This chapter is sort of a "preamble" to the whole story. :) Enjoy. Again. **

* * *

When I was born, the heavens exploded.

The entire sky split apart at the seams, light coursing through the midnight blue. Stars flashed brightly, swirling and spinning, and as the Northern Lights streaked over the pale snowy mountaintops, I burst out of the grayish clouds at the top of the universe, glowing with light, stars encircling my waist like a belt, my eyes still completely closed.

I landed in the glade, covered with stars, pulsating with light.

When I opened my eyes, I was looking at a bright, full moon.

* * *

**A Few Hundred Centuries Later:**

Night had fallen across the town of Burgess, and the nights were dark and moonless, frosty leaves glimmering next to shingled rooftops.

Starla crouched on the roof of 180 Lincoln Boulevard, staring out across at Man in Moon, gleaming as a perfect sphere in the middle of the black night sky.

She waited for the perfect moment, till she got that amazing rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. And then she bounced off the roof, soaring high up into the air, near to where the moon was. Then Starla pushed off, sliding across the sky, her arms spread wide, stars zooming out from behind her. She laughed as cold wind slid against her skin, against her lips, streamed her blonde hair back.

Starla twisted in the air to see the formation of stars flying out—gold against midnight, the sight she loved to see most at night.

Finally, she dropped, landing in the gray green grass of Easton Street, and folded her arms over her chest to survey her work. Another perfect job, Starla told herself, smiling.

She spotted a little girl out on her porch, drinking a glass of water a few houses away.

Giggling, Starla shot over to her house, and let go a few lights from her hand, blowing them into the girl's yard. They filled the grass, lighting up the entire yard like magical fireflies, and the girl dropped her water, laughing and running into the lawn to play with the luminous creations.

Starla stood there in her yard, smiling at her as she played.

Children had never seen her. She had never been believed in, not even a bit. _Even though_ _I put the stars in the sky and the lights in the water, the trees, the grass,_ Starla thought bitterly, _they said it had things to do with the way the Earth moved and crap like that._ But she wasn't one to care.

Starla loved children. And in that way, it was unfortunate they couldn't see her.

She liked her life perfectly the way it was. No reason to change anything.

What Starla liked to do most at night was sit on rooftops and watch the Sandman's Dreamlines float through the entire town of Burgess. Sometimes, she touched some and watch snippets of the pleasant dreams dance around her.

Starla drifted into the air to touch a Dreamline, and when she did, it exploded in a soft shimmer of golden sand, revealing a girl jump-roping with a bunch of other girls. She laughed.

Starla hugged her knees to her chest, dropping slowly back onto the roof. Maybe it was fun to help the children by making them dreams, or to collect their teeth like the Tooth Fairy did.

Starla shrugged to herself. She heard the Tooth Fairy was the nicest spirit out there, but she had no idea—she had never met her.

But there was no reason to change all that. Starla liked her life exactly the way it was. It was boring during daytime, when there was already light outside, but she liked the soft, quiet, cool nighttimes of Burgess, when the magic from her hands could send her own creations of light out into the universe, like an artist painting, and all the children of the world could look out and see her stars and lights.

But none of them knew who the lights belonged to.

That was the one thing Starla wished she could change.

* * *

**Guys, what do you think of Starla? I have her planned to be the Guardian of Innocence. Lol. Not that she's innocent or anything-as you'll see-but she protects the innocence, the lovely light innocence, the playfulness of a child that we all love and treasure. The fact that a child asks questions about things he or she doesn't know, how he or she is curious about the littlest things, e.t.c. **

**I want that to always be protected in a child. :) **

**So, I hope you guys liked this first chapter, even though it was VERY short, and I apologize for the absolute shortness of it. *awkward, apologetic face* **

**Jack: When do I come in, Crystal?!**

**Me: Soon, soon. *rolls eyes* Can't you just be patient?  
****North: WHO took my COOKIES?! JACK!**

**Jack: Why does he always blame me?**

**Sandy: *smiles sneakily***

**Me: It's always the quiet ones. **

**Bye guys! Again, reviews would be much appreciated. Thanks! **


	2. Jack's Sighting

**Hi everybody! **

**Wow I'm pleased to say I got 6 reviews already! I'm really grateful to Seryyth, Melantha Frost, Guest, ROTGLOVER, Amberflame805, and princesslolitatheorca654 for reviewing! **

**So hopefully this chapter was a bit more interesting than the last. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Jack spun through the chilly morning air on his staff, heading straight for Easton Street, where Jamie Bennett and his friends lived.

The sun was up, staining the sky a rosy pink, and Jack spotted Jamie and his friends running by the frozen pond.

Grinning, Jack took off, launching himself while wrapping his lanky thin legs around his staff.

"Hey, kiddos!" Jack called, landing neatly.

"Jack!"

"Jack?!"

"Jack Frost! Hi!"

All around him, Jamie and his friends clustered, eager to know where he'd been, what he'd been doing after he had left them to return to his home at the North Pole.

About a year had come and gone, and Jamie was a bit older now, but still young enough to have snowball fights outside on a snow day.

"Who wants to have a snowball fight?" crowed Jack, rising into the air and creating the perfectly iced snowball. He launched it at Pippa, Jack's friend, who fell to the ground.

"No fair!" she giggled and threw a snowball back at Jack.

Soon, it was chaos at the frozen pond.

Jack zipped around, laughing, yelling, "Who needs ammo? Here's some more! Watch your back, Claude! Here, Pippa, catch! Jamie—you might wanna duck, buddy!"

In all the commotion, nobody noticed Sophie, Jamie's younger sister, waddle through the snow in her pajamas to tug at the bottom of Jack's pants.

Jack glanced down, and grinned. "Hey, Soph!" He ruffled her hair and let her play while flying around supplying Cupcake with three extra snowballs.

Suddenly, there was a shriek.

Jack looked around, trying to find the person who had screamed, and only saw a hole in the ice.

The ice had cracked, and there was a big piece missing.

And so was Sophie Bennett.

"SOPHIE!" cried Jamie, dropping the snowballs he held. They crumbled on the ground.

Jack lifted himself off into the air and dove towards the frozen pond, circling it warily.

He had no clue how to swim and didn't know how to get Sophie out. Frozen ponds brought back too many memories for Jack.

He remembered the cracking noise, and the sensation of ice cold water, and then the moonlight shining onto his face. Then next thing he knew, he was a Guardian.

"Jack! Help her!" Tears ran down Jamie's face as he ran for the pond.

Jack made up his mind and slipped through the hole, knowing one flick of the staff would send him flying to the surface.

Jack's ice blue eyes surveyed down under, and spotted a flash of corn-yellow hair. Jack shot after the blur of hair, and grabbed Sophie around the middle, finally emerging. Jamie had ran across the ice, but Jack held up a hand, trying to shake wet hair out of his eyes so he could get a firm leash on his thoughts. "Stop, Jamie," Jack said, shaking. "Stop. Stay right there. Back off the ice."

Jamie took a hesitant step back.

Jack saw the thin lines cracking underneath his boots. "Go, Jamie," he said, lifting off into the air, still cradling Sophie in the crook of his arm. "Off the ice. Now. Please."

Jamie backed up off the ice, tripping into a giant snowdrift in his hurry to get to his sister.

Jack knelt down. Sophie was wet and curled into a ball, her teeth chattering. Jack shoved Sophie into Jamie's arms. "Get her home. I'm only making her colder."

Jamie nodded. "Okay," he whispered. "Thanks for saving her, Jack."

Jack didn't say a word. He closed his eyes, grabbed his staff, and shot skyward.

Jack circled the city for a while after that to try and get his mind off what had just happened. If he had delayed for a split second longer—Sophie might've died.

A flash of black slipped across Jack's vision.

Jack whirled around to glance at the ground. He had seen—did he dare think of it?—something like a shadow snaking across the ground.

Jack landed, twirling his staff and walking barefoot across the icy sidewalk, balancing perfectly. He stared down, and suddenly, the flash of black disappeared into the grate on the side of the street.

Jack gasped, shocked. Was that an actual Nightmare? They were all supposed to be gone. Dreams had been going perfectly so far.

Children had gotten their memories, and lights gleamed on the the Globe at North's place everyday from morning till night.

Jack blinked. Did the shadows mean...Pitch was out there somewhere? Waiting to attack the Guardians again?

Sucking air sharply into his lungs, Jack flew off his perch and straight north, towards the snowy mountains in the distance.

He needed to speak with the Guardians.

* * *

"VAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SAW A SHADOW?!" North was taking it worse than expected, and Jack backed up a few steps, holding up his hands in front of him.

North was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf. "Bingle!" he barked at a small elf. "Bring the cookies!"

The Tooth Fairy was fluttering around, her feathers ruffled, her fairies following behind her faithfully, chirping into her ear. She pressed her hand to her mouth and moaned. "But how can that _be_? Pitch was taken by the Nightmares. And without Pitch, the Nightmares are really nothing."

"Yeah, mate." Bunny raised his emerald green eyes to look at Jack. "You must've seen...I dunno, an oil puddle or something."  
Jack was dumbfounded. "An _oil puddle_?" He threw his arms up in the air. "I _know_ what I saw, Peter Cottontail. I saw a _shadow_."  
Bunnymund snorted. "It was probably yours."  
Jack tried to contain his anger. "No. This was a Nightmare Shadow. And it disappeared right into the grate on the side of the street."  
"This cannot be right!" North warbled in his thick Russian accent as he paced around the room.

Bingle the Elf held up a plate of halfeaten chocolate chip cookies. North swiped one, looked at it, disgusted, and then threw it back on the plate.

Bingle offered it to Bunnymund, who sniffed and glanced away. "Not on yer nelly."  
"Pitch is _gone_, Jack," Tooth tried to comfort him, fluttering to his side. "Maybe you're just seeing—"

"No!" Jack nearly shouted. "I know what I saw." He lowered his voice. "I know what I saw, Tooth, and what I saw was a Nightmare Shadow."

Bunnymund shook his head. "Can't be a bloody Nightmare. They're gone, Frostbite. All of 'em. We smoked 'em all. Or did you forget already?"  
"It's all those paint fumes from the Warren, Kangaroo," Jack taunted, turning to glare at the giant rabbit. "They're shooting your senses dead. You can't understand one damn thing."  
Sandy made a no-no-no motion with his finger.

"Sandy is right." North nodded. "Enough of the language."  
"Fine," Jack said sourly. "Don't believe me?" He pointed at the giant skylight above the Globe. "Ask Man in Moon."  
"_Manny_?" North's voice echoed disbelief. "Do we really vant to bring Manny into this?"  
"If you don't believe me." Jack's voice was flat.

Sandy raised his hand and pointed at the skylight.

Four heads turned to look.

The moon was a big sphere, floating in the light blue sky.

North let out a laugh that was meant to be happy, but it really sounded like he was choking. "Manny! Vat gives? It's been awhile, old friend!"  
Bunnymund leaned against the wall to clean off his boomerangs, making a harrumph noise.

Tooth floated by the Globe, eager to listen.

Manny cast a shadow on the floor.

It morphed into a very familiar shape.

North closed his eyes. "No. _NO_."  
Tooth gasped. "Jack—"

"No way!" Bunnymund leaned over to see the shape.

Sandy looked up at Jack admiringly.

Jack leaned cockily against his staff. "Looks like Jack was right."  
"For once," Bunnymund retorted.  
"Better once than never, Fluffy," Jack shot back.

"Vat do you mean Pitch is back?!" North demanded, whirling around to face the skylight. "We already wage battle. Pitch was gone. Now he decides to come back?"  
Suddenly, the centerpiece in the floor was rising again.

All of the Guardians knew what was happening.

"How did he become this strong in so little time?" Tooth tittered, massaging her temples and flying around like a crazy overgrown hummingbird.

"He's choosing—" Bunny sucked in air.

"A new Guardian!" North turned to Jack. "Can you believe this, Jack?"  
Jack just stared at the blue light coming out of the raised podium. "Who is it? Do you know?"  
"Maybe _this_ time it'll be the Leprechaun?" Tooth offered.

"Maybe it'll be the Groundhog," North joked at Bunny, but no one laughed. Bunny didn't even offer a sarcastic commment back—he only eyed the podium warily.

The Guardians were not in the mood to laugh. Just thinking of Pitch growing stronger and feeding on fear made them tremble.

"Ve are not exactly a vell-oiled machine," North began. "But Manny has given us the message thanks to Jack. So ve must begin to prepare."  
Bunnymund was incredulous. "Prepare _what_? A cookie feast for _you_?"  
North rolled his eyes. "Nonsense. Ve must prepare to fight."  
"Shhhh!" Tooth silenced them and pointed. "Look!"  
The blue light revealed a slender, petite figure wearing what looked like a thin spaghetti-strap dress, her chest length hair floating behind her.

North grunted. "Rimsky-Korsakov. It's the light girl. I forget name. Jack?"  
Jack was staring at the girl. He had seen her before, they had talked once or twice in the last couple centuries, but never _really interacted_.

"Starla," Jack said finally. "She puts the stars in the sky. And the lights in the forests and the water and all that. Kids love the lights."  
North smiled. "Hmm. That's good. Do you know Starla?"  
Jack glanced up. "Not really."  
"Well." Tooth smiled. "I'll be glad to have another girl on the team. Bunny? Sandy?"  
Sandy gave a thumbs up, nodded, and smiled.

Bunny shrugged and continued to rub his boomerangs. "Eh. She's just another sheila for Jack to flirt with."  
"Hey!" Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "Girls naturally love me."  
"Hah!" Bunny started to leave. "You wish, Frosty the Snowman."

"Have you _ever _spoken to her?" North grabbed Jack by the shoulders and turned him away from Bunny. "_Focus_, Jack? _Ever_?"  
Jack nodded. "I—I guess."

"Ah-HAH!" North whacked him on the back, which almost sent Jack flying across the room. "Then you vill be...salesperson."  
Jack leaned back. "A...a _salesperson_? North, what are you—"

"Salesperson!" North exclaimed, exasperated. "You vill be person who brings her to the North Pole to become Guardian. Your job? Good vith that?"  
"Um, no!" Jack leaned forward to protest, but North had already nodded, a smug smile on his pink face, and left the room, his back hunched in thought.

Bunny had already streaked for the Warren, mumbling an excuse about lonely eggs and "feeling the need to paint some googies."  
Sandy had fallen asleep.

Jack looked at Tooth helplessly.

Her eyes were closed.

"Don't tell me you're asleep, too," Jack moaned, walking towards her.

Tooth smiled and opened her violet eyes. "No. I was thinking. About Starla. Her teeth. They carry sad memories."  
Jack blinked. "Really? About what?"  
"Sorry!" Tooth shot for the Globe. "It's in my Privacy Contract as an Honorary Guardian as well as Fairy. I can't tell any third party about memories. They're strictly disclosed." She grinned. "I can't disgrace the uniform."  
Jack sighed. "I guess I'm the bait, huh?"  
Tooth nodded. "Hook, line, and sinker, and we've got ourselves a new Guardian."

As Jack left the North Pole to attempt to find this "Starla" girl, he kept thinking:  
_Why would Manny appoint a new Guardian—unless Pitch is strong enough to defeat us all? And what happens when he defeats the Guardians?  
There is nothing left but fear. _

**Hope you guys enjoyed that! Reviews are very much appreciated! :) **

**Jack: Crystal, why'd you update so fast? I didn't even have time to build myself a snowman?  
****Me: I wanted to. *smirk***

**Bunny: LOL. **

**Me: It's funny when Bunny says LOL. **

**Tooth: That was almost like a poem! Get it? 'Cuz bunny and funny rhymes!**

**Jack: Bunny and dummy. **

**Bunny: ...that doesn't really rhyme. **

**North: Enough! Everyone, remember to read and review! And follow/favorite! And remember: Keep Calm and Love North!  
****Jack: I believe the expression is "Keep Calm and Believe in Jack Frost."  
**

**North: TT_TT**

**Thanks for all the reviews! Bye guys! I'll update again soon! **


	3. What Is Your Center?

**Yay! Thanks to everybody you reviewed, follow/favorited, or even just took the time to read my story. Thanks to: Melantha Frost, Seryyth, TeenageWasteLand7, Fandomrandom, ROTGLOVER, Guest, and Boomerang for reading my story and presenting it with their beautiful reviews. :D **

* * *

Jack spotted Starla from a distance.

He saw her soar across the sky, a train of stars flying behind her, scattering over the dark sky. From his carefully hidden position in the boughs of a tree, Jack spotted kids staring wondrously at the stars appearing like heavenly godsends from behind the thin misty layer of clouds.

Jack had no clue how to even talk to Starla.

He swooped down, riding the wind, trying to keep his usual cocky air of confidence in his voice as she settled against a rooftop, blowing a few lights into the breeze.

He had to admit; her talent was pretty cool.

He flew towards the rooftop, coming up from behind Starla. He landed softly, and leaned against his staff and searched for some sort of eloquent conversation-starter. The best he came up with was:

"Hi."

Starla turned around, surprised.

Jack surveyed the luminous spirit. She had light floaty blonde hair tied up in a half-ponytail that traveled down past her shoulders to her chest. Her eyes were wide and emerald green, flecked with slight blue. They stood out the most on her pale drawn face. They carried so much emotion within them that Jack was afraid to look her in the eye.  
"Hey," he repeated. "I'm Jack. Frost." To create emphasis, he tapped the roof with his staff, causing frost patterns to travel across.

Starla jumped up in surprise, emitting a squeak and watching the roof frost over. She looked at Jack. "Oh. Hi. What's up? We haven't really...talked in awhile."  
Jack managed a shaky laugh. "Yeah. It's been a few...centuries, hasn't it?"  
Starla didn't respond, just settled down uneasily on the edge of the roof, placing her hands on her hips, her green eyes widening the slightest bit. "Why are you here? Last time, you messed with my lights. You _froze_ my Will o' the wisps!"

Jack winced. "Yeah. Sorry about that, by the way."

Starla rolled her eyes and turned away.

"God." Jack shut his eyes. "That's the last thing we need. Another hold-a-grudge Guardian. The Kangaroo _still _won't shut up about the Blizzard of '68."  
Starla whipped around so fast she was a blur. "_Guardian_? What did you say?"  
Jack sighed. The time it took to explain the entire story of how the Guardians began, of how Pitch was defeated, of how he was rising again, and of how Man in Moon had chosen her as the newest Guardian was too long to tell up on a cold rooftop, so Jack pointed. "You have to come with me."  
Starla shifted her weight to her other leg and glared. "What makes you think I'm going to go with you?"  
Jack stepped forward. "You're going," he told her. "We'll be there by dawn tomorrow."  
"There?" Starla exclaimed incredulously. "Where's there?"  
"The North Pole," Jack told her, floating right off the roof. "And you're a flier. So—"

"How observant of you," Starla remarked dryly. "I'm a flier."  
Jack chose to ignore this smart-aleck comment and gestured. "Let's go. North wants to speak to you."  
"What about a Guardian, though?" Starla remained on the roof.

Holy crap, this girl was stubborn.

"Move it, Starla," Jack warned her. "I'll be happy to turn you into a Starsicle if you don't."  
Starla smirked. "And then you'll be carrying that Starsicle thousands of miles all the way to the North Pole? I don't think you have it in you."  
Jack gritted his teeth. But then he remembered North speaking to him, all those centuries ago, when he first became a Guardian: _Vat is your center_?

_My center is FUN, _Jack thought.  
Jack grinned. "I bet you can't fly as fast as me, Starla." He was taunting her, setting the hook. Now would she take it?  
Starla frowned. "I bet I can." She smiled at him. Hook, line, sinker.

"We'll see." Jack twisted his lips into a smile. "I'm off to the Pole. If you don't want to know what Man in Moon has for your future, and if you want to end up the slowpoke for all eternity, that's fine with me."  
Starla was not one to be meddled with, and this annoying jab from Jack Frost was nothing.

She took off, spiraling through the air. "I have the entire sky starred in just under an hour!" Starla called to him, with a bell-like giggle. "I highly doubt you'll win this race."  
"That a challenge, Firefly?" Jack took off, right ahead of her.

"You don't want to race with me, Frost." Starla soared upward, then ricocheted straight forward, taking in the pulsating rhythmic energy of the stars. It gave her a boost and she shot forward, in the lead.

"No fair!" Jack yelled. "You're cheating, Firefly!"  
"Says the _loooooooser_!" taunted Starla.

Jack formed a perfect snowball, and blew a breath of cold air on it, icing it over. He launched and shot it directly at Starla's neck. It her right in the neck, and she dropped for a few feet before catching herself. Her face was pink, and her teeth chattered from the cold. "J-jack Frost! That's c-cold!"

Jack chuckled, turning around lazily, one hand clutching the staff, the other hand jammed into the pocket of his dark blue hoodie. "You okay?"  
Starla nodded, brushing snow off the back of her dress. "I'm fine." She grinned and shot past him. "Race is still on!" she called.

Jack flew on past her, a smirk on his teenage face. "Yeah, right, Firefly," he laughed. "Eat my frost!"  
All night, Jack and Starla raced. They had their own little bits of cheating along the way: for instance, Starla flashing as bright as she could to temporarily blind Jack; Jack hurling multiple snowballs at her so she tumbled off course and lost sight of the North Mountains, but it wasn't very clear who would win.

"The doors are down there!" Jack pointed. "I'm gonna take a dive!"

Starla dove just behind him, right at his heels.  
They both slipped in at the exact moment. Unfortunately, the small doorway was not wide enough to allow both of them to pass side by side.

Both spirits were stuck in the doorway.

Jack burst out laughing. "We should probably have taken the bigger doors in the back. Anyway. Is this a tie, Firefly?"  
Starla stuck out her lower lip. "Guess so. And I was so looking forward to saying I beat Jack Frost in a race."  
Jack grinned. He liked her spirit, and her enthusiasm. But he still wasn't entirely sure what use she'd be to the Guardians. Sure, she was fast, and a flier. But so was Sandy, Tooth, and himself. What made her different?

What made Starla stand out?  
What was her...her _center_?

Jack knew what she needed to figure out soon was her center, but North would probably give her the honorary speech soon enough.

Bunnymund entered the front room calling for North.

Jack wiggled around a little, still stuck. He spotted Bunny. "Hey! Cottontail!" he called.

Bunny turned, and noticed Jack stuck in the doorframe. He blinked. "What in the—"

"Peter Cottontail!" Jack wiggled a bit more. "Could you help us out here? We're stuck."  
Bunny bounded forward and smirked. "And let me ask, Frosty, how'd you actually get stuck in there?"  
Jack rolled his eyes. "It was an accident. Right, Starla?"  
Bunny's eyes drifted to Starla.

Starla smiled. "You're the Easter Bunny."  
"Easter _Kangaroo_," Jack corrected from next to her.

"That's it!" Bunnymund turned around. "I'm not helping you, ya bloody twit."  
"Aw, come on! Come on, Bunny, you know I was just messing with you!" Jack wiggled desperately. This was an embarrassing situation: stuck in a doorframe with a girl he barely even knew.

North entered the room. "Vat, Bunny? Vere have you been? I've been searching everywhere, asking the elves, but all they do is jingle and you know I don't understand—" He stopped when he saw Jack and Starla stuck in the doorway.

North blinked.

"Hi," said Jack weakly.

Bunny laughed. "Hoo, boy."  
North stepped forward. "Jack. Vat are you doing?" His voice was calm, but his eyes looked a bit freaked out.

"We're stuck." Starla finally spoke. "Could you please help us?"  
North cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes, of course." He grabbed Starla's hands and pulled her out, dislodging Jack as well.

Jack straightened out his hoodie and grabbed his staff, hooking it over his shoulder as usual and walking with a swagger past Bunny to sit on a table.

North looked petite Starla up and down. "You must be Starla! Our newest Guardian!"  
Starla did a double-take. "_Huh_?"  
North looked at Jack. "You did not tell her story?"  
Jack ignored North, making ice patterns on the table.

"Jack!" North prompted. "You couldn't just have—"

Angrily, Jack sent an ice wave towards a stray elf and froze him.

Starla gasped.

Bunny snickered.

North stomped his foot. "Okay. I tell you hundreds of times! No. . Elves!"  
"Sorry!" Jack muttered, turning away.

"Pitch Black," North said, turning to Starla. "Surely you've heard of him."  
"The Nightmare King." Starla tilted her head. "Is that right?"  
North nodded. "Yes. He is waging war against the Guardians. We defeated him once. But now, we recieved word from Manny—"  
"That's the Man in Moon," Bunny informed Starla, who nodded.

"—that Pitch is growing stronger," growled North, glaring at the Globe. "The children are in danger, and so are we. We need more power to fight him. So Man in Moon chose a new Guardian yesterday. And that Guardian..." he paused for dramatic effect to smile at Starla. "Is you."  
Starla blinked. "Me."  
North nodded. "Yes. You."  
Starla burst out laughing. "I'm a _light-maker_, Nick!"  
North's eyebrows came together. "I prefer to be called North."  
"_North_," Starla hastily corrected. "Sorry. What I mean to say is, I can't really do anything to stop the _Nightmare King_. All I can do is create light."  
"That might be good!" North encouraged, being positive.

"Tooth is here!" Jack announced, turning back. "And Sandy's right behind her."  
"Oh! Good! Hah!" North turned. "Toothy! Sandy! Over here!"

"Hi, Starla!" Tooth zoomed right over to Starla to wave at her in her usual friendly demeanor.

"The Tooth Fairy!" Starla grinned. "Wow, I've always wanted to meet you."  
Tooth looked flattered. "Wow! Thanks. Well, here I am!" Tooth couldn't resist and grabbed Starla's jaws, prying them open. "I love your teeth!" she gushed. "They're shaped really w—"

North cleared his throat. "Tooth. Hands out of mouth."  
Tooth pulled away. "Sorry!" She flew back to her place on North's other side.

"That is Tooth," North hastily introduced the other Guardians. "And that is Sandy. Or the Sandman, as he is known. You probably know Sandman...?"  
Starla grinned. "Yeah."  
Sandy smiled and waved in his usual quiet way at Starla.  
"So Starla," North said, grunting as he sat in a chair. "Vas just about to demonstrate her powers. Am I right?"  
Starla reeled back. "Wait, what? No, I wasn't."  
North waved at her. "Go on. Ve need to see vat you can do."

Starla took a deep breath, hesitating, then summoned power into her hands. She felt warmth running through her veins, as she always felt when she was getting charged with light. Soon she was glowing.

Jack jumped up. "Hey, Firefly, do the flash thing you did back on the way here. When you almost blinded me."  
North nodded. "Hmm. That might be _very _useful, no? Vhy don't ve try that, Starla."  
Starla pulled all her energy in as tightly as possible into her gut, thn let it loose, flashing as brightly as she could.

The Guardians were silent when she returned back to normal mode.

"Nice," Bunny commented.

Sandy gave her a double thumbs up.

Jack nodded. "Not bad, Firefly."  
Tooth clapped. "That was pretty bright!" She turned to North. "I wonder what she could do if she had lots of energy. She could knock out a lot of Nightmares, don't you think?"  
"I do agree, Toothy!" said North. He stood. "Do you vant to be Guardian?" Then he laughed, his big booming Russian laugh. "Of COURSE you vant to be Guardian. It does not matter. You do not have choice."  
Starla was taken aback, but she shrugged. "If it's a lifelong committment, I can't. I have things to do, people to see." She trailed off and turned away. "I don't know if I can. Help you, I mean. In your fight against darkness or shadows or whatever else."  
"We _need_ you, Starla," Tooth said desperately, flying in front of her. "Man in Moon chose you _because _he knew you could help us. And we're already finding traits that would be helpful in the battle. Jack says you're a fast flier, and you're light powers will be very useful."  
North leaned forward, surveying her closely. Jack jumped onto his chair and mouthed the words precisely just as North said: "Vat is your center?"  
Starla smiled at Jack and turned back to North. "Wait. My...my _what_?"  
North threw his arms up in the air. "Your center! Let me guess—Jack didn't tell you about the center either."  
Starla shook her head.

North turned to Jack. "Vere are those figurines of me? With the...vatyoucallit...tiny vooden baby inside? I need it to demonstrate."  
Jack stepped forward. "Allow me," he said lazily, leaning on his staff. He cleared his throat and put on North's Russian accent. "If you look at me, this is vat you see," he declared, still in the accent. "Big, intimidating. But if you get to know me a little, you vill understand that I am mysterious. Fearless. Caring. And at my center?" Jack paused for dramatic effect.

North rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud, Jack."

"My center is vonder," Jack continued in North's thick Russian accent. "Vonder that sees lights in the air and—what was it, North? I forgot."  
North shoved Jack aside. "Anyway, my center is vonder, like he said. Vonder that allows me to make the toys, sees lights on the trees, and magic in the air."  
"Yeah, that!" Jack called from the back of the room.

Starla smiled. "It makes sense."  
North pointed. "Sandy's is dreams. Toothy's is memories."  
Starla made a face. "Memories?"  
"The memories in the teeth," Tooth declared, flying close to Starla's face. "I know the memories of every child everywhere—identifying their worst and best moments, just by their molars, bilaterals, and bicuspids." She smiled proudly.

"Bunny's is hope," North continued.  
Starla understood. "For Easter."  
"Yes," said North. "And Jack's is Fun."  
"Obviously," Starla said dryly.

"Obviously," Jack echoed, with equal edge to his tone.

"And yours?" North asked, kneeling down next to her. "Vat is yours?"  
"Oh come on, North!" Jack cried. "The least you can do is give her a few days to figure it out."  
North grumbled, standing up. "So we take Oath now?" he asked Starla excitedly. "Get the music ready!"  
"Whoa, no!" Starla held up her hands. "No music until I officially decide. Okay?" she asked, softening her voice.

North sighed and nodded. "I guess that vill be alright."

* * *

"Aaaaand this is the workshop. Where 'Santa' makes the toys." Jack turned to grin at Starla.

She sucked in air as she took in all of it: the materials, the giant furry yetis, the elves wrapped in Christmas lights, random toys that were flying, chugging, crawling, hopping and singing all around the workshop. "This is pretty cool," she whispered, letting air out of her cheeks.

She shot Jack a confused look when she saw the yetis painting, hammering, and tweaking. "I always thought the elves built the toys."  
Jack shook his head. "They _think _they do. But it's the yetis who make the toys in real life."  
"Wow." Starla gazed around the workshop. "This place is awesome. The life of a Guardian must be fun."

Jack tapped a window lazily with the edge of his staff. "It's fun, yeah. You get to hang with kids. You feel believed in. But like all things, there's a price." Jack jumped to the windowsill and drew a smileyface.

Starla grinned, then frowned. "What's the price?"  
"If the kids stop believing in you, what you protect in th children disappears." Jack leaned back against the wall, his ice blue eyes turning hard. "And so do you."  
Starla was taken aback. "Wait. So North said...he protects Wonder. So if the kids stop believing in Santa Claus, for some reason, the wonder in them goes away?"  
"Yeah."  
Realization dawned on Starla. "And so does he."  
"In time. Yeah."  
This was a graver situation than ever before. Starla started walking for the exit, sliding past the yetis barreling around carrying giant metal toolboxes. "Just the reason I don't want to be a Guardian."

"Hey, wait!" Jack followed her, flying next to her as she exited North's factory and went out into the cold. Starla hugged herself against the wind as she began to troop towards a snowy hill.

"Starla!" Jack flew next to her. "That's the _only_ bad part of being a Guardian. The rest is great! I mean, you get to hang out with kids, no rules, no responsibilites. Do you like kids?" Jack flew in front of her, blocking her way.

Starla nodded slowly.

"Haven't you ever wanted a kid to believe in you? To see you?"  
Starla looked up. "Kids will believe in me if I become a Guardian?"

Jack nodded. "Give them a chance to touch your lights. That'll sort of bend them towards the idea of a Guardian that puts lights in the air. They'll know that you put the stars in the sky, and the lights all over the place. You're the cause of the magic at night. And then you'll be able to protect something in the children."  
"What do I protect?" Starla grabbed Jack's arm, getting excited.

Jack did a somersault in the snowy air. "That's up to you! Come on. Let's go fly back to Burgess and bring joy to kids!"  
Starla made a face, and then lifted off, following Jack towards the prospect of belief.

**So Jack tells Jamie and Sophie about Starla, and she exposes them to her lights, but will they believe? And Pitch is angry about Manny choosing a new Guardian...but he begins to think she can help HIM. **

**More of "Lights" to come soon! **

**Spencer (Boomerang, an awesome reviewer): Hi, Guardians! **

**North: Hello...**

**Jack: Wait who are you?**

**Spencer: I'm awesome. **

**Bunny: ...**

**Tooth: Yay! **

**Spencer: Bunnymund, you look like a Kangaroo. **

**Jack: Yes! I like you!**

**Bunny: No I DON'T!**

**Spencer: I can imagine you with a pouch, kickboxing. ****Jack: O_O YES. **

**North: How did you get in here?! The yetis are supposed to be guarding the doors!**

**Spencer: ...for the record, they are not good guards. **

**Crystal: You're really sweet, Spencer. Reading this fanfic to your girlfriend. Hope she loves it! :) **


	4. Of Friends and Foes

**Hi guys! **

**So I am THRILLED and SO GRATEFUL for the amazing support this fanfiction is getting. The amount of reviews, follows and favorites may not be much to you, but it is TONS to me, however stupid that sounds. :) ****But that's just me. **

**Thanks to Th3Hous3OfThe3RisingSun, Melantha Frost, Teresa12, Amberflame, and TrueManevolanGirl4899 for their reviews. :D **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"This is Jamie," said Jack.

They were seated in a tree, frost patterning up and down the branches at a flick of Jack's staff.

"Jamie," said Starla, watching Jamie play and make noises for his truck. "The...last flame or whatever?"  
"The last _light_," Jack said, leaning forward and sitting back on his haunches, balancing on the thin branch. "Not the last flame. He's basically the reason the Guardians are still alive."

"Smart kid," said Starla, grinning widely.

Jack reached out, playing with a wisp of Starla's hair. "You want to meet him?"  
Starla smiled, a little sadly. "What's the point, Jack? He won't see me."  
"We can change that." Jack dove off the branch and swooped towards Jamie's house on Easton Street.  
"_Jack_! Wait! I don't wanna—" Starla flew after Jack, swooping through the air.

"Just stick with me!" Jack called, laughing at her. He whirled around and waved at Jamie, who jumped off the porch and ran into the front yard to wave.

The screen door opened and a little girl carrying a raggedy doll came shuffling out.

"Hey, Sophie!" Jack flew down, landing, and squatted down in front of the little blonde girl, who wrapped her arms around Jack tightly. "Jack-jack!" she giggled.

Jack hugged the little girl back. He looked at Jamie. "Was she okay? Sorry I left so quick."  
"She was fine," Jamie told him. "I took her home and Mom was at work so I dried her off, changed her clothes, and put her to bed. I even made hot chocolate without burning it or spilling any."  
Jack grinned and ruffled Jamie's hair. "Good job, kiddo."

He tilted Sophie's face up. "You're okay, Soph. Just stay off the ice, okay?"

Jack let go of Sophie and turned around to look at Starla. She was standing in the grass, in the middle of Jamie's backyard, a sad look on her face. Her green eyes were lustrous and wide, and she rubbed her arms awkwardly.

Jack gestured for Starla to come closer.

She took a teensy step forward.

Jack wrapped his arms around Jamie. "Watch this." He looked at Starla. "Do the lights. The lights in the grass."  
Starla tensed. "_Now_?"  
Jack nodded.

Jamie raised an eyebrow, looking from Jack to the emptiness he saw.

Starla rubbed her hands together and blew outward. Pieces of light drifted from her hands through the backyard.

Jack sucked in air. It was more breathtaking when you saw it in person. He didn't reveal his surprise though. He squatted on his haunches next to Jamie, rubbing his hands together.

Sophie toddled up to Jamie to hold onto him, and Jamie reached for one of the lights.  
They touched him, and sparkles exploded out of them as the tiny light vanished.

"Lights!" Sophie toddled after one.

Starla giggled, fascinated with the little girl as Sophie grabbed a light, it disappeared, then she went wading through the grass to find another one.

"This is Starla," Said Jack, gesturing to her. "She puts the stars in the sky."  
"She's doing the lights right now?" Jamie asked, awe in his hazel eyes.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, she's—" His ice blue eyes brightened. "Starla, do the thing with the stars. Right now." The moon was visible, but behind slight icy gray clouds, and Jack knew this black night was the time for the luminous spirit to do her stars.

Starla soared up into the sky.

"_Believe_, Jamie," Jack said softly.

Jamie stared as a blanket of stars swept across the entire sky, brightening the yard. He gasped. "That's her? That's Starla?"  
Jack nodded. "Pretty cool, right?"  
"Fairy?" Sophie asked Jack, tugging on his hoodie.

"No," Jack leaned back. "She's not a fairy, but she's a flier. In fact," Jack glanced at Jamie. "She actually almost beat me in this race we had."  
"No WAY!" Jamie's eyes bugged out of his head. "Beat _you_?"  
Jack shook his head. "I was tired, okay?"  
Jamie squinted at the sky.

Sophie pointed. "Starla Fairy! I see her! I see her!"  
Jack grinned. "How 'bout you, Jamie?"  
Jamie nodded slowly. "Yeah!" He let out a whoop. "That's so _cool_!"  
"It is," Jack said softly.

He was bent on getting Jamie and Sophie to believe in Starla. She deserved belief, he thought. She's more like me than I ever thought anyone could be. Hiding, alone, clueless about the Guardians until that moment I was chosen. And she just wants to be believed in.

Starla swooped down and stood in front of Jamie and Sophie. "You guys see me?" Her voice sounded _scared_.

Jamie nodded, openmouthed. "Yeah."  
"You saw the stars I made? You saw me flying?" Starla's voice picked up energy.

Jack struggled to bring some of his usual sarcasm in his voice instead of just staring at Starla. "Down, girl," he said with a snigger.

Starla ignored him and looked at Sophie as Jamie answered yes to her question. "Do _you _see me?" She whispered.

"St—starla," Sophie said in her little-girl talk, and hugged Starla's legs.

Tears pricked behind Starla's eyes, but she didn't dare reveal a single emotion. Jack was sitting back on his haunches, leaning against his staff, but he was grinning. "See?" he said.

Starla nodded, over and over again.

"I promised you a snowday, guys," Jack said, flipping into the air. "So I'll give you what you bargained for." He waved his staff, and snow swirled through the air. The wind nipped, and the air got colder.  
"Brrrr!" said Jamie. But he smiled. "I can't wait for school to be closed tomorrow! Jack, you'll be playing outside with us again, right?"  
Jack grinned. "I wouldn't miss it, Jamie." He waved his staff again and then gestured to Sophie, who was walking barefoot through mounds of powdery snow. "Take Sophie inside, okay, Jamie?" he said to the little brown haired boy. "You can come out and play tomorrow. But right now, get inside before you get sick."  
Like a signal, the screen door opened, and Mrs. Bennett gasped. "Jamie Bennett! You get back in here right now! And bring Sophie!" She shook her head. "Good grief. The snow in Burgess these days. Unbelievable."  
Jamie giggled and carted Sophie and his plastic truck onto the porch.

Mrs. Bennett picked up Sophie off the porch. "Goodness, Sophie!" she exclaimed. "Why would you go out into the snow with no shoes, honey? And you," she added to Jamie. "No coat, no hat, no scarf? What's _with_ you kids these days?"  
"Sorry, Mom!" Jamie winked at Jack and Starla.

"And Jamie, I could've sworn I heard you talking to somebody out here," said Mrs. Bennett as she waited for Jamie to come inside.

"Umm..." Jamie grinned at her. "I was talking to Sophie, Mom!"  
Mrs. Bennett closed the door.

Jack laughed, and Starla let herself smile too. "That kid," exclaimed Jack. "Gotta love him." He turned serious. "C'mon. North was probably expecting us an hour ago. Shoot, he probably has the yetis out looking for us."  
"We better go, then." Starla lifted off into the air.

The two of them flew side by side through the snow and the stars, and Starla looked at Jack slowly. "What was that for?"  
Jack was surprised. "What?"  
"You told Jamie and Sophie about me, made them believe—"

"Nah, Starla," said Jack, the cocky grin on his lips. "_You _made them believe in you."  
Starla shook her head. "No. You told them about me. And the things I do. Why? Why did you want to help me?"  
Jack tilted his head. "Because...we're friends?"  
Starla's stunned silence was not reassuring for Jack. He crinkled his dark eyebrows. "Wait. We...we _are_ friends, right, Starla?"

Starla let out a weak laugh. "Jack. This may be hard for you to believe, but I've never had a friend before."  
Jack stopped in his tracks. "Wait. _Never_?"  
Starla shook her head, her cheeks turning a bright pink color. But to her surprise, Jack didn't laugh or snigger or offer one of his smart-ass comments. He just shrugged. "Then I guess I'll be your first." He smiled. "Firsts are always the ones to be treasured." He flipped over in the air slowly. "Tooth told me that. It's her favorite expression."  
"Firsts. Huh," said Starla quietly.

"So. Friends?" Jack stretched out his hand towards her, holding his staff in his left hand, floating right next to her, so close Starla could see the snowflake pattern in his blue eyes. There was something absolutely mesmerizing and hypnotic about them, and his pale lips stretched into that cocky grin.

Starla swallowed. She hated to show certain emotions, and affection was one of the ones she didn't particularly like. She tucked a wisp of blonde hair behind her ears and stuck out her hand to take Jack's.

Jack turned his hand from sideways to straight up, and pressed his palm against her.

The sensation of voltage shot through Starla's hands and up her arm. She blinked rapidly, exhaled softly.

Jack Frost, her first friend.

Jack slid his hand along her palm until their fingers were entwined in front of them. Jack grinned at her. Starla let herself smile slowly, trying to conceal the pain that she remembered about her past life.

Jack opened his mouth to say something more, but Starla saw a flash of black behind them, disappear down below.

Starla jerked her hand away, no matter how rude that was, and pointed. "I saw something! Like a shadow!"  
Jack whipped around, transferring the staff to his right hand, and tensed, his eyes scanning the entire area.

After a few moments of silence, Jack turned back to Starla. "Guess they're gon—" He stopped abruptly, letting out a random groan of pain.

Without a word, Jack Frost dropped clear out of the air.

"_Jack_!" Starla cried and dove after him.

The staff had slipped out of his hand, drifting on the wind, and his face was contorted with pain.

Starla slipped underneath him to catch him. He slammed against her hands and Starla let out an involuntary grunt as she managed to narrowly grab his staff before it fell out of her reach.

Jack straightened up, shaking his head. "Ouch."  
"What happened?" Starla demanded, handing him his staff.

"Thanks." Jack took it, looking all around him. "I dunno. Something just hurt really bad, and I had these—" He trailed off, shaking his head. "I dunno. _Flashbacks_. And—sorry if I scared you. I owe you one, Starla." Jack looked around, trying to find someone or something that wasn't there.

Suddenly, he let out another groan of pain and doubled over, but managed to keep ahold of his staff.

As Jack bent down, Starla spotted what looked like a giant shadow horse with glowing eyes. It had Jack's shadow firmly clamped between its teeth.

Starla gasped. She felt her entire body shaking and buzzing like an iPhone set to Vibrate Mode and she let loose sharp beams of light from her hands. They rammed straight into the shadowhorse and within seconds, the horse had distintegrated into nothingness.

Jack let out a breath, his eyes shut. He lost a few feet of altitude.

"Jack," Starla flew next to him, gripping his shoulder. Her heart hammered. _Great. I just found a friend, and now he's about to die_. "Jack, are you okay?"  
"I'm fine." A trace of the old Jack was back as he smiled and then cracked his back. "Ow."  
"You _idiot_!" Starla lost it. "You scared the hell out of me!"  
Jack widened his eyes in mock apology. "Oh, _I'm_ sorry! I'm sorry I got attacked by a Nightmare and gave you a little _fright_."  
Starla stiffened. "That thing was a Nightmare?"  
Jack nodded, finally straightening up and leaning onto his staff for support. "It was sent by Pitch. Probably."  
"Why was it attacking you?" Starla asked in a hushed whisper.

"Because I'm a Guardian." Jack glanced at her, then inhaled sharply as he saw her glowing body. "Starla. You're _glowing_."  
Starla nodded, looking down at herself and then back at Jack. "Yeah. When I _feel_, I glow. And when I dispel light, I glow."  
"Hmm." Jack stroked his chin. "When you _feel_? What were you feeling?"  
Starla shuddered. "Fear."  
Jack tugged on her half-ponytail. "Fear that Yours Truly might get hurt?"  
Starla giggled. "Yeah, that's right."  
"By the way," Jack said with a grin. "That was _awesome_. What you did with that Nightmare. You shot light at it and it _disappeared_. All I can do was freeze them."

"Yeah," Starla said, not really caring. "Just be glad they're gone, Frostbite."  
High-pitched nickers that sounded more like screeches came from all around them.

Starla and Jack whirled to see about ten more Nightmares approaching from all around, their eyes glowing maliciously, tossing their black shadowy manes.

Fear crept through every muscle in Starla's body, and she tensed up.

"You...take the ones on that side," Jack said under his breath. "And I'll take the ones on this side. And Starla."  
"Yeah."  
"_Don't_ let them touch your shadow. Okay?"  
Starla swallowed. "Okay."  
As the Nightmares got closer, Starla heard a crackling noise. She turned quickly. Jack had frozen two of the Nightmares, and they fell to their doom.

Whirling back around, Starla unleashed her light and destroyed the remaining Nightmares—except for one.

Snorting fire, it got closer to her. Fear overwhelmed Starla—and pain—as the Nightmare took ahold of something black that came out of her body.  
Her _shadow. _The Nightmare had her shadow!  
Starla was powerless to do anything as pain screamed through her body. Her heart was in her throat, blocking her screams.

"Starla!" Jack flew in front of her, ice shooting out of his staff. The Nightmare turned bright white and vanished with a last fading whinny.

Starla gulped sweet oxygen as her shadow returned to her body.

"Stupid Nightmares." Jack knelt down in midair. "Are you okay?"  
Starla nodded slowly. "That was kinda..." She trailed off.

"_Scary_," said Jack with a scowl. "Don't be afraid to say it. Because even Bunnymund gets scared when Nightmares come around—even though there's no way he'll admit it." Jack looked at her to get her reaction.

Starla swallowed and looked back at Jack. "Jack, why would Pitch Black send all those Nightmares after us right now?"  
Jack shook his head. "That's what I don't understand. But they're defenitely got a new tactic up their sleeve."  
"What tactic?" Starla tilted her head.

"Taking the shadows." Jack scratched his silver-white hair. "They've never done that before. And it hurts. I don't know what Pitch is using the shadows of his victims for, but it can't be good." Jack grabbed her arm. "Come on. Can you fly?"  
Starla pressed her hand to her forehead. "_No_," she said in her best theatrical voice. "Carry me, Jack Frost."  
Jack grinned and shot ahead. "We have to go tell North and the others." He looked around nervously. "And we better hurry before more Nightmares come after us."  
Starla bit her lip and pushed aside her worries before following the winter spirit towards the snowy mountains in the distance.

* * *

**So I really hope you guys liked that!**

**And please do me a favor and leave a review! They always make my day! :) **


	5. The Theory of the Forgottens

**So this chapter does not have much drama, or Jack and Starla fluff. But trust me, there will be MORE fluff to come in this story. :) **

**But there is a big reveal as to what Pitch is planning to do in the end. **

**Jack: Thanks to FANDOMRANDOM for reviewing! **

**Bunnymund: And thanks to Seryyth for reviewing too. **

**Tooth: Thank you, Melantha Frost, for reviewing! You guys are really all great! **

**And you are, reviewers. Thank you all for making my day happier with your amazing reviews. :D **

**Enjoy! **

**-xoxo, Crystal **

* * *

"SHADOWS? So _that _is big idea Pitch is making." North was stalking around the North Pole, pushing elves around and tossing big logs into the fire. The room was getting warmer by the second.

Sandy was asleep, as usual.

Toothiana was bustling around, speaking to her fairies, and Bunny just looked plain bored. But his ears were pricked so high that Starla knew he was paying careful and rapt attention.

Jack was the storyteller, with Starla chiming in a few times to get in a few details the winter spirit had missed in his attempt to tell the story with as many daring moments as possible.

"The horses take the shadows," Starla interrupted Jack. "And apparently that causes pain."  
"No." North's eyebrows were furrowed in thought. "No, Starla. Vell, yes. But there is much more to it than just mere pain. Pitch vould not stop at pain. He vill go much farther and cause..."

"Destruction." Bunnymund raised his green eyes slightly to look at North.  
North softened his voice. "Bingo."  
"There were a lot of Nightmares," Jack continued. "About ten or so. But we handled it well, right, Starla?"

"Yeah," Starla assured North, who was looking angrier by the second. His face was getting redder and redder, and Tooth shot a nervous glance at Bunnymund.

Bunny raised his head. "And three. Two. One..."

North exploded, Russian profanity streaming out of his mouth.

"If I spoke Russian, I have a feeling by ears would be bleeding." Jack chuckled, looking at Starla. But she was in no mood to joke around. "Jack, this isn't funny."  
Jack held up his hands. "I'm not trying to be."

North was huffing and puffing. "If there is vone thing Pitch knows, it is fear. Our shadows can be read like open book!" North continued to curse in Russian, slamming things, his face still bright red like a tomato underneath that long white beard.

"What is he talking about?" Jack crinkled his eyes as he turned to Toothiana.

She fluttered forward, her slender figure silhouetted in the pale light of Man in Moon. "Shadows contain a lot of information about us. The same goes for mortals, and Pitch has figured it out."  
"_How_?" Starla exclaimed.

Tooth sighed and fidgeted. "He's had quite some time to think about it, hasn't he? Time to hide under the bed and do nothing but think. He must've figured out the secret half way."  
"So...once he has our shadows..." Jack trailed off, his eyes going wide, horror spreading through his pale face.

Tooth nodded sadly. "He can figure out our fears. Our dark desires. Our secrets." She snapped for emphasis. "Just like that."

Realization filtered through Jack's face. "He's at an advantage when he knows our fears. He can pretty much control us, right?"  
"CONTROL IS RIGHT!" North boomed, throwing a log at an elf that happened to be in his way. "Calm down, North," Tooth said, trying to rub his arm soothingly, but North broke away.

"Childrens' fears are easy," Bunny said, walking forward, shifting his boomerangs. "Pitch can tip the balance anytime." Bunnymund gestured at the Globe.

Starla turned to it. "The lights seem normal."  
North had stomped out, and Tooth reached forward to touch Starla's shoulder lightly. "For now," she said softly. "For now."

* * *

"North—is everything okay?"  
Starla had wandered into North's office. He was smashing ice on the floors. The elves had been kicked out of the room, and North's tools were scattered everywhere.

"Get out, Starla." North smashed a piece of ice under his heavy boots and turned back to his worktable, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

Starla sucked in air. This was going to be a delicate job.

The Guardians had asked her to go speak to North for a few minutes. Jack had flown off as soon as North had left.

Tooth had returned to her Tooth Palace.

Bunny had returned to the Warren, and Sandy was still asleep.

"Do you have a moment to talk?" Starla leaned against the doorframe.

North turned around. "_Vat?_ Vat is it?"  
Starla sighed. "Look, North. I know this is hard on you, learning that Pitch might have the upper hand on the Guardians soon, but this is no way to handle it."  
"My apologies," North said sarcastically. "I should be using stress squeeze ball and yoga to get rid of these butterflies."  
"North, come on." Starla rolled her eyes. North in a leotard doing yoga was one thing Starla would not like to see.

North sighed deeply. "I just don't understand how he could have gotten so _strong_ in so leettle time! He vas hiding under beds this whole time, not coming out, isn't it?"  
Starla shrugged. "This is just a thought, but perhaps kids shoved stuff they wanted to hide forever under their beds. Maybe those were...I don't know—clues or something leading up to their worst fear, or their dark secrets or something. I know in my old life my sis—" Starla stopped completely and pressed her lips together.

North let his merry blue eyes travel up to hers. They held eyes for a long time. "That is good thought." Said North slowly. "In fact, that is excellent thought. Shostakovich! That is thought that could be our breakavay!" North stood up and did a little dance. "Ve have to tell other Guardians! Ve have to _name_ this theory!"  
Starla closed her eyes. "That's not necess—"

"The Theory of the Forgottens! Do you like it?" North was staring at Starla, positively bouncing with energy no elderly man like that could manage.

Starla grinned. "The Theory of the Forgottens? Oookay, North."

"I have much to think about," North said slowly. "Shadow taking. Learning about kids. He's been _bathing_ in the kids' deepest secrets, shoved under their beds for as long as they can remember! He's been lying, stealing, taking them! And soon he vill tip the balance on the Globe!" North gasped.

Starla nodded.

"This all ties in vith Pitch. He is the _image_ of a grown up. He is taking more than just shadows. He knows now that he can _read_ the shadows like it is Victorian novel. But when he takes them, he is taking a _part _of the child. One that develops and changes shape as they grow. He is taking away their..."  
"Maturity?" Starla offered.

"No." North's voice was hoarse. He shut his eyes tightly and swallowed. Starla heard the noise of North swallowing and was worried. "North," she whispered. "North, what is he taking?"  
He banged on his desk with his fist. "That sorry son of a—"

"North, please!" Starla held up a hand. "Stop the swearing. What is Pitch taking from the children that they need?"  
North looked at Starla, any trace of merriness in his eyes were gone. They were filled with a deep sadness, his eyes big and bottomless.

"He is taking avay their innocence."

* * *

**:0**

**Who the heck was expecting THAT?! Wow. What a twist. **

**Anyway, so yeah. Pitch is taking away that light childish innocence we all love and treasure. So basically he wants a bunch of grown up boring children to be waltzing around the world.  
Fun. **

**But our Guardians won't let that happen. *plays theme song of ROTG because its freaking awesome* **

**Please review now that you've finished the chapter! And thank you all for your support.**

**-xoxo, Crystal**


	6. Caught By the Rabbit

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! The next chapter will have lots of war, lots of Nightmares, and something really sad. :( I'm already sad just thinking about it.**

**Thanks to Melantha Frost, AnnaNymose, Guest, ROTGLOVER, and Cat Lunanoff for their beautiful, BEAUTIFUL reviews. I appreciate every single review I get in my email inbox. And every follow, and every favorite. Thank you guys!  
**

**Jack: Stop getting mushy and get on with the chapter. **

**Me: Will you shut up? I'm trying to be nice.**

**North: I am star of this chapter! *smirks***

**Me: I wouldn't say you're the STAR, North.**

**North: I vould say I am star! **

**Me: Well, technically-**

**Jack: ENOUGH! Enjoy the chapter, guys, and don't forget to review! PS, I'm sexy and I know it.**

**Bunnymund: That's just a fantasy, mate. **

* * *

Starla flew outside to sit in the grass. She leaned back against the back wall of North's Factory in Santoff Claussen and heaved a deep sigh. What kind of monster was Pitch, anyway? To take away a child's innocence? And innocence was the one thing that needed to be protected in a child! Innocence practically shaped your entire childhood, with animated movies, ice cream, and getting away with drawing on the walls and spilling gross stuff on the floor.

Starla heard a crackling noise and saw a window in the factory begin to frost over.  
She smiled slightly, her lips twitching upward when she saw a mysterious finger from the top of the roof draw a smileyface. She remembered the frost smileyface from when Starla and Jack first talked in North's Workshop.  
"Hi, Jack," said Starla, tilting her head up against moonlight.

Jack flipped over the edge of the roof and stopped next to Starla. "How did the talk with North go?"  
"If you don't count swearing and smashing ice, it went fine."  
Jack chuckled. "No, really. What did he say?"

"Well." It was a long theory, and Starla was sure Jack would understand regarding all the time he spent with kids. Starla took a deep breath. "When kids want to forget something, they stuff it under their beds."  
Jack nodded. "You should see the junk under Jamie's bed! These _disgusting _stuffed animals, Sophie's old dolls that were missing eyes, all these drawings he made, stuff he wrote he didn't want anymore—"

"Exactly!" Starla interrupted. "He didn't want them so he stuffed them under the bed. And after the years Pitch spent hiding under beds, he probably read through the stuff and learned more about kids' fears and secrets."  
Jack's eyes widened.

Starla continued. "North said he can read shadows. And Tooth says shadows contain information about the person. So he must want the shadows to learn more about their fears, and then use the fears to bring them down."  
"He's targeting the Guardians," Jack realized. "To kill us off first so then _he _has control over the kids of the world."  
"Exactly." Starla leaned back and covered her face with her hands. "This sucks. And you haven't heard the worst part."  
"Joy." Jack sat down next to her. "The worst part. How worse could things get?"  
"When Pitch takes the shadows...he's taking away a child's innocence."  
Jack looked like he hadn't heard for a minute, and then his mouth widened into a perfect circle.

"Wow." Was all he could say.

He finally sat facing straight forward, just like Starla.

Jack broke the silence. "Innocence—"

"Is meant to be protected in a child," said Starla, pressing her forehead to her knees. "I can't understand why—"

Jack stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. Starla jerked her head up, expecting a legion of Nightmares before them, but Jack was staring intently at her.

She turned to him. His blue eyes were so wide. Then a smile nearly split his face in half. He jumped in the air, grabbing his staff, doing a somersault.

Despite the grave circumstances, Jack's frivolity made Starla giggle. "_What_?" she exclaimed.

"Innocence!" Jack got up close to her face, no regard for personal boundaries. He pressed his forehead to hers, their eyes inches apart, and whispered, "You said it: innocence needs to be know her center."  
Starla was totally and completely lost.

Jack rolled his eyes and lowered his voice. His breath smelled like mint. "She wanted to protect something in a child. Her _center_. But she didn't know what it would be. But I think she just found it." Jack smiled, and Starla couldn't help but notice how white and straight and even his teeth were.

Starla placed her hands on Jack's shoulders. "Back up, Frostbite."  
Jack backed up to squat in midair. "You _still _don't get it?"  
"No, I do." Starla grimaced. "Love the figurative language." She paused. "You're talking about me." She scrunched up her eyebrows. "Are you saying innocence is what I could protect in a child?"  
"It's what needs to be protected!" Jack crowed. "It was _your_ idea, really, Starla. I just pointed out that it was a really good idea."

Starla blinked. "Do you _really _think that would work?"  
Jack threw his arms in the air. "Why wouldn't it?" Then he paused to grin. "You're glowing."  
Starla stood. "I'm happy." She laughed. "Oh my gosh, wow! I found my center! I—" She cut off midsentence and threw her arms around Jack's neck, a random impulse that she felt.

Jack pressed his cold hands to her waist like they were about to dance as they floated inches off the ground, and Starla stared into his eyes. Their gazes were locked—neither was able to look away.

And not to mention Starla was glowing like insane—

"Well, well, well. What do we have 'ere?"

Starla let out a yelp of surprise as she spotted two emerald green eyes watching from wihin the bushes. Jack whirled around, and Starla pushed forward to try and hide from this embarrassing moment that she had caused.

"Starla—" Jack turned around to look at her, and lost his balance as she barreled forward, eyes wide and pleading.

Tripping, Starla fell flat on her back, letting go of Jack's shoulders, and Jack fell down on top of her, his hands slamming onto either side of her fallen form, his body still against hers.

"This is some boil-over, mate," said the voice with a chuckle after.

Starla closed her eyes. "Oh my God."  
It was Bunnymund.

With another snigger, he stepped out of the bushes.

Jack hastily scrambled off of Starla.

"A little dance session?" Bunny raised his thick eyebrows.

"_No_!" Starla stood up, nearly shouted it. She hated being associated with any form of affectionate emotion. "No dance session, Bunny."  
"We were talking," said Jack, a growl in his voice.

Bunny was still grinning. "Easy, mate. I'm not here to _knock _you, ya gumbie."  
Jack and Starla exchanged glances.  
"Will speaking proper English _kill _you, Peter Cottontail?" Jack leaned against his staff, attempting to bring back his usual frivolous and funny nature.

"Hah, hah," said Bunny, rolling his eyes. "I'm not here to criticize you, ya moron. I just happened to be—"

"Stalking us?" Starla demanded, green eyes sparking.

"...in the neighborhood," Bunny finished his sentence dryly, eyeing Starla. "Take it easy, sheila."

Starla facepalmed. Over and over again.

Without a word, Jack grabbed his staff and took to the air.

Bunny sat down, letting out a hoot of laughter. "What crawled up his ass?"

"_Bunny_." Starla walked up to him. "Look. There's nothing between me and Jack. We were trying to figure out what Pitch is doing to the kids, and we did. And then I got happy, and I hugged him. That's all."  
Bunny's raised eyebrow look showed he wasn't convinced.

"_Really_," Starla told him. "I swear."  
"Ya don't need to swear, Sta'la," Bunny said with a soft smile. "No worries."  
"Don't tell anybody you saw this, okay?" Starla had no idea why she was freaking out, but she had a feeling Jack was uncomfortable and that was why he flew off. She didn't want any of the other Guardians to know she was out alone with Jack Frost, hugging him, their faces this close—

"No worries," Bunny repeated. "I'm going inside. Want anything to eat, sheila?"  
Starla raised her eyebrows. "Um. No thanks. And why do you keep calling me sheila?"  
Bunny started for the door. "Aussie term for woman. Problem?"  
Starla shook her head. "No. No problem."

Bunny traipsed up the stairs and into the house calling: "NORTH! D'ya got anything to eat round here, mate?"  
Starla listened for North's reply, and it shortly came: "VAT do you think I _am_, Bunny? I am not housewife, I am toymaker!"

Starla flew up to the roof. "Jack?" she called softly, landing. "Jack. Are you there?"  
No reply.

Starla rolled her eyes. "Don't be overdramatic, Snowball. Come on out." Sarcasm was Starla's way of trying to hide worry. She flew over the entire roof, but couldn't find Jack.

Starla stopped in the middle and tried to pant and hide her worry. "Wow. Okay," she said to herself. "So he really is gone. But he'll be gone." She tried to smile it away and flew inside.

North was seated, stroking his beard.

"Hey," she said. "North. Jack had this awesome idea—"

"Rack off, you little tramps," Bunny hissed as two elves laughed and pointed. He rolled his eyes at Starla. "Everytime I come. The ears are just _so _funny to 'em."  
Starla started again. "North. North, are you listening to me?"  
"I'm thinking." North pinched the space between his brows. "How can ve protect the innocence in a child? No!" He grabbed a glass of milk and took a sip. "It is not possible."  
Starla moved closer. "Um, that was actually what I was going to tell you."  
Both Bunnymund and North raised their eyes. Starla turned a bit pink as the attention was focused on her. "So you know how MiM chose me to be the the new Guardian?"  
North nodded slowly. "Yes?"  
"Well. I'm thinking I found my center."  
North looked up at her. "Vat? Vat is your center?"  
Starla wasn't sure this was the right answer anymore based on the confused expressions Bunny and North were giving her. "Innocence."  
The room was quiet for a second, then North jumped up in the air. "AH-HAH!" he yelled, grabbing Starla with his giant arms and bouncing up and down.

"Ouch! Oof! Okay, North—" Starla's face was smothered into North's red coat.  
"That is perfect center!" North cried, dropping Starla onto his red and green gingham couch.

Bunny nodded slowly. "That just might work."  
"Just _might_?" North yelled incredulously. "Her powers are _light_! Light against Pitch's darkness. And her innocence against his powers to take avay innocence! It is perfect center! It is perfect plan!"  
"I'm not powerful enough—" Starla began.

"Nonsense," North exclaimed. "You vill be fine. Ve can start training soon, if you need it—"

"Yeah, I do!" Starla interrupted.

North waved it aside. "Yes, yes. Ve vill start training—uh, as soon as possible. But for now it is fine! But ve have to call Jack and Toothy and vake up Sandy and tell them about this!" North leaned back against the couch with a content sigh. "As long as vone single child believes, ve as the Guardians of Childhood vill be here to fight fear." He let a smile linger on his lips.

Starla took that as a good sign—North relaxing—and she leaned back to.

"Vait! Vat am I _doing_?" North sprang up again. "I have to shine the Northern Lights! Summon the Guardians!" He thrust a plate of cookies at Starla. "Here, eat! Eat your fill!" He skipped out of the room yelling: "This is going to be...EPIC!"  
"Wow," Starla said, looking at Bunny.

Bunny sighed. "Scary, in't it?"  
Before Starla could reply, Jack shot in the door, bringing wind and pieces of fast-blowing snow with him.

"Cold!" Bunny hissed, recoiling from the open door like Dracula from the dawn.

"Jack?" Starla leaped up.

"Where's North?" Jack demanded, running to Starla. "And Tooth and Sandy? Did you tell North about your center?"  
Starla nodded. "He's really happy."  
"There's trouble," Jack said, panting, clutching his staff.

An elf walked up to Jack to offer him a cookie. "No," Jack said, still panting. "No, thanks."  
The elf offered him a candy cane, poking his leg. "Not now!" Jack hissed. "Okay? Just go away."  
"What kind of trouble?" Starla pressed, heart beating fast. "Like, Nightmares?"  
"Is it Pitch, mate?" Bunny was standing up.

"Hi, guys!" Tooth shot through the doorm, followed by a few fairies. "What's up?"  
"Trouble," Jack said, turning to face her.

The elf poked Jack in the leg and offered him a glass of milk.

Gritting his teeth, Jack extended his staff and froze the elf clean.

North rushed back into the room, followed by Sandy. "Ah, good good!" he exclaimed. "Ve are all here." He looked down at the frozen elf, and then glared at Jack. "How many times," he enunciated slowly. "Have I told you, Jack—"

"There's no time!" Jack yelled. "There's trouble in Burgess."  
North gasped sharply. "Shostakovich. What kind of trouble?"  
"Nightmares!" Jack headed for the door. "We have to go. Now."  
"How many Nightmares?" Bunny was already up, and Tooth was looking horrified.

"A _lot_," Jack said, shaking his head. "A _lot_. Too many to count. And there's more coming."  
"Strewth," Bunnymund whispered.

"Ve go," said North. He grinned at Bunnymund. "And ve take the sleigh."

* * *

**Me: Everyone loves the sleigh! :D**

**Bunnymund: I HATE the sleigh.**

**Me: ...**

**Jack: And the sleigh hates you. **

**Bunny: Rack off, you bloody wombat. **

**Jack: Wait. A WOMBAT?! What IS that?**

**North: Look it up! Let me get my glasses first though. **

**Bunny: He's so old. *laugh* **

**North: *from far away* I heard that. **

**Me: Oookay! So don't forget to-**

**Jack: REVIEW!**

**Me: Right. I'll update again soon! **

**Jack: Stay cool, guys. *flashes superstar smile* Pun intended.**

**Bunny: You're. Not. Funny. **


	7. Trouble in Burgess

**So this may start off slightly humorous, but it is NOT. I was really sad writing this chapter. :( **

**But it WILL get better, I promise. **

**Jack: You don't know that.**

**Me: I'm the writer. I actually DO.**

**Okay, so thanks to Seryyth, Melantha Frost, and Fandomrandom.**

* * *

"Wait, where's Rudolph?" Starla scanned the eight reindeer hooked up to the sleigh.

North looked at her like she was insane. "Vat?"

Starla sang the reindeer song really quick so maybe North would get it: " 'You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?'"

North was blank. "Who is the most famous reindeer?"  
"Rudolph!" Starla exclaimed. "Y'know: 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows'—"

"A red nose?" North was incredulous as Tooth, Bunnymund, Sandy and Jack loaded into the big shiny red sleigh. "Physically impossible for reindeer. Who wrote this song?! Vat else does it say about my reindeer?"  
Weakly, Starla continued: " 'All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names; they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.'"

"Aww," said Tooth, making a sad face.

"I don't blame them," North grumbled. "After all, he had a red nose."  
"So do you," Jack pointed out.

"DOES MY NOSE GLOW, JACK?" North demanded.

"WE HAVE TO GO!" yelled Bunny. "The children are in trouble!"  
"Ve are not done vith this conversation," said North, glaring at Starla. "Ve vill finish when we get back."  
As the reindeer ran at top speed down the ice tunnels, North looked at Starla. "Vat happens next? In the song?"  
Starla sighed. "You supposedly asked Rudolph if he could guide your sleigh because you loved his shiny nose."  
North shook his head. "Just what I need. I look like a..."  
"Sissy?" Bunny offered.  
"SISSY!" North boomed. "I am writing strongly vorded letter to the person who wrote this reindeer song. _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_."  
"Kids all over the world know the song," Jack told North. "Jamie knows it. He sings it every year with his family—it's a tradition."  
North pulled out a snowglobe, ignoring Jack and Starla, and whispered into it: "Burgess."  
They entered the snowglobe, hurtling through space and time until they spun above the small town known as Burgess, where Jamie Bennett lived.

Starla gasped when she saw the damage already done.

The entire place was black, and Nightmares paced around yards. Pitch Black was nowhere to be seen, but the Nightmares were crawling around like roaches.

"Ve are not too late!" North said, delighted. "But ve must move. NOW!"  
The Guardians got out of the sleigh and ran towards the neighborhood, not wasting a second that could cost a child its life.

* * *

Bunnymund jumped over roofs, his boomerang in hand. He shot it precisely, aiming perfectly, taking out about 5 side by side Nightmares at once.

"Take that, ya bloody ponies," he laughed, jumping over roofs to catch his boomerang.

_Easter. That's your holiday, isn't it, Rabbit_?  
Bunnymund stopped abruptly, cocking his ears to listen. He whirled around to see Pitch.

He felt a raging pain and saw a Nightmare directly behind him.

_The Nightmare was taking Bunny's shadow_.

Bunny gasped and tried to get away.

He felt ripping pain surge throughout his entire body, and then the next thing he knew, he felt like a part of him was missing and floating in the Etherium.

He couldn't see correctly, and his boomerangs were gone. He was lying flat on his face on the ground, and he tilted his furry face up to see Pitch smiling.

Pitch pressed Bunny's shadow to his long black robe, and Bunny automatically heard what Pitch was saying.

_Your greatest fear, Rabbit. I can read you—every thought, every emotion, every feeling, every desire, every secret, every FEAR. You're most afraid of winter ruining your Easter like that dreadful, dreadful '68 blizzard. Oh my, oh my. _

Bunny gritted his teeth. "Pitch, you—" He collapsed again, energy lost.

Pitch smiled. _Can you hear me? I'm not speaking to you. These are MY thoughts, Rabbit. Do you want to know how it works?  
_Bunnymund groaned. "Stop. Please—"

Pitch opened his mouth in a snarl. "It _hurts_, doesn't it? To be hearing MY voice in your head all the time? See, shadows are still connected, in a way, to its host body even after being..." Pitch made the motion of tearing with his long spindly fingers. "...ripped out of the host's body."  
Bunny twitched on the ground, moaning as he realized what was happening. His shadow was gone. Under Pitch's control.

"See, Rabbit," said Pitch. "So when your shadow attaches to me, you can hear _my_ thoughts. Well, just the ones directed to you." He smiled gleefully. "It all seems a bit weird and unbelievable, but believe me, it works." He narrowed his brow-bones. "I've had a few years under dusty beds to think about it, haven't I? And I've stolen many child-shadows over the globe already. And now, I can use my _Nightmares_ to steal them for me! I can just sit back, put my feet up, and hear the distressed screaming." Pitch grinned. "Pure joy for a spirit like me."  
Bunny lay still.  
Pitch leaned forward. "And just like that, I have taken out one of the Guardians." He snickered.  
"One down, four to go."  
He heard a gasp behind him, and saw the Tooth Fairy. She shot something at him, something out of a wand, that would've exploded him had he not dodged.

"Hello, little fairy." Pitch sneered as she stared, shocked, at the Easter Bunny's fallen form.

Tooth whirled around. "PITCH!"

Pitch dodged as nimbly as he had before. Suddenly, he felt a golden whip grab his wrist tightly.

_Sandman. Oh, no_.

As Sandy whipped Pitch around, Tooth knelt next to Bunny. "Oh, no!" she cried. Big tears ran out of her violet shimmery eyes. "North!" she screamed. "Jack! Starla! Somebody!"  
It was Starla who saw first.

"_Bunny_!" she shouted, and realized he was stretched out on the ground, his eyes shut. Was he dead? Starla's heart began to race. She shot for Tooth's kneeling shape.

A Nightmare was directly behind Toothiana.

"Tooth! Tooth, ohmygosh, _Tooth_, turn around!" shrieked Starla. "Oh, please, please, please, God, let me get there in time—" Starla spotted Jack freezing Nightmares in the middle of the black fray.

"Jack!" yelled Starla. She pointed at Tooth and Bunnymund on the ground, and Jack gasped.

Starla looked for North. She couldn't find him here, but she shot for Tooth and Bunny anyway.

The Nightmare was leaning forward.  
"Oh, God!" Starla flew as fast as she could.

It wasn't fast enough.

The Nightmare clamped down on Tooth's shadow and began to yank it out.

Tooth screamed, a shrill bird-like sound that echoed through the entire town of Burgess.

"Get away from her!" Starla reached out, light beams shooting from her palm, but she missed since she was shaking so much.

The Nightmare stopped. Half of Tooth's shadow was twitching like a fish out of water on the ground. The other half was attached to her body.

Tooth's violet eyes were shut as she lay on the ground, moaning.

Starla shot her light beams, tears flowing, and the Nightmare vanished.

"Oh, no!" Starla bent down to try and attach Tooth's shadow again, but there was a yanking sound and she whirled around to see the Boogeyman.

He smiled maliciously. "Hello, Starla."  
"Get the hell away from me!" Starla clung to Tooth's shadow, not willing to let go. "What have you done to them?!"  
Pitch smiled. "They'll be fine." He chuckled then. "No, they won't. Soon, as the Tooth Fairy doesn't come, and there's no Easter, the children will just stop believing. And one day, the Guardians will wake up and see—" Pitch shrugged in mock sorrow. "There _is_ no Bunny. Or little fairies that come in the night to pick up your teeth."  
"NO!" Starla yelled, but Pitch yanked with all his might and pulled the shadow away from her.

Starla whirled around. Tooth's body was unresponsive even as she desperately shook it to try and get the fairy to open her wide purple eyes.

When she looked back, Pitch was vanishing, and he giggled like a child, pointing to something. "You might want to run."

Starla looked up and saw the Nightmares descending like a tidal wave upon them in the starless night. Even Man in Moon had deserted them—there was no moon tonight.

Starla let out a scream and held up her hands. She formed a feeble shield that protected Tooth and Bunny's bodies as well as hers from the incoming Nightmares.

Just then, from within the blackness, Starla saw blue light rising.

Suddenly, the Nightmares had exploded into what seemed like nothing but ash, and all that was left was a fallen North and a grim Jack Frost.

Sandy was up on the rooftop, his golden whips fluttering.

North raised himself by his two gleaming swords and rushed to Starla. "Are you hurt?!" he demanded.

Starla was sobbing, which she hated because it was _emotion emotion emotion_! She couldn't breathe, just covered her face with her hands and cried. Cried for Tooth and Bunnymund, fierce warriors that had not been able to defend themselves against the powers of darkness.

Jack was kneeling next to her, his arm weakly around her shoulders. Despite herself, Starla cried, not touching him back, merely pressed her face to her knees.

"Starla, Starla—" North's eyes were sad. "Starla, get ahold of yourself."  
Sandy had arrived and he touched her shoulder with a warm hand. He made pictures above his head, and North translated: "He vas taking care of Pitch—but Pitch got avay like the sneaky snake he is." North glared at the bodies of Tooth and Bunny.

Starla shook her head. "I w-was so c-close," she whispered. "I could have saved Tooth. I could've. But he was—_stronger_." Starla closed her eyes, quieting her sobs, but letting tears leak out.

North sucked in air. "Let us get back to the Pole."  
Jack looked at him, blue eyes worried. "Can we help Bunny and Tooth?"  
North's sad eyes gave Starla the exact answer she couldn't bear to hear:  
_No_.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Jack: This was depressing.**

**Me: I TOLD YOU FROSTY IT WILL GET BETTER. *sobs hysterically***

**Jack: TT_TT**


	8. Not Always Good To Be Alone

**Hi guys! I enjoyed writing this chapter 'cuz it focuses less on the sadness that happened before and more on JackXStarla cuteness. Yay for that. **

**THANKS TO THOSE THAT REVIEWED: **

**Jack: Thank you Melantha Frost for your review. Yeah. I know. It's actually pretty depressing around here without the Easter Kangaroo and Tooth. **

**North: Dear FullMetalCanine: It is true. Those are my curses. :) My specialty. ****Starla: Dear Amberflame805, thank you so much for your amazing brilliant review. **

**Jack: ZambleTheZombie, thank you so much for your review. **

**Starla: ZambleTheZombie? I wish I could've been there for you. :( And thanks for saying I'm awesome. I bet YOU are awesomer. :D **

**ENJOY! **

**PS. This chapter is dedicated to my bro, Jake, who shows me that it's not always good to be alone. :) **

* * *

_If Pitch Black wasn't my enemy before, he is now. _

Starla thought fierce thoughts as she lay on her little bed in a random room in the North Pole, staring at the ceiling.

She had locked the door and just wanted to be alone.

Starla kept replaying the scene over and over in her head:

Tooth crouched over Bunny's limp body.

Starla flying towards her—almost there, her fingers almost skimming Tooth's bright tropical feathers.

Starla seizing Tooth's shadow.

Pitch yanking it away.

Starla letting go.

Staring at the half-dead Bunny.

Watching Tooth's violet sparkly eyes close slowly right in front of her.

Watching the yetis organize a candlight vigil for the Guardians like they were _dead_.

Hiding out in her room, trying to pretend the past hadn't happened.

Starla took a deep breath. _I hate emotion_. _I hate feeling_. _And I hate that I couldn't stop what Pitch did to my friends_.

Something crackled against her window.

Frost patterned all over it, and Jack appeared, crouching.

He drew a smileyface—their regular ritual.

Angry and upset, Starla got up, stalked over to the window, and scratched out the smileyface with the back of her hand, not looking at Jack.

Jack's brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"  
"Am I _okay_?" Starla exploded. "No, Jack. I am not okay! I was—" Starla held her thumb and forefinger apart to how how close. "—this close to saving Tooth's shadow and I couldn't."  
Starla threw her arms in the air. "I just couldn't."  
"Oh." Jack sat down on her bed in his usual carefree way and traced frost patterns over the white walls.

"Jack!" Starla walked over to the bed and seized his forearm, yanking him up. "Out! I came in here for privacy, and I'm not getting any."

Jack crouched in midair. "I just wanted to make sure—"

"Did North send you?" Starla exploded. North was already treating her like she had broken both her legs and was missing her shadow, being gentle, as if she had been traumatically affected by Pitch's shadow-stealing spree back in Burgess. She couldn't stand the kindly behavior of the older man; she just wanted to be left alone.

"No!" Jack shook his head. "_I_ wanted to make sure you were okay." His brows crinkled.

"I'm fine." Starla turned away sharply. "Leave, Jack. Just leave me alone, okay? I just want some space."  
Jack leaned against the frost design he had made. "Starla—"

"_Out_!" she pointed at the door, looking fiercer than ever. Starla was glowing brightly now, but not in a good-feeling kind of way.

Jack didn't budge, merely looked at her.

"Agh!" Starla covered her face with her hands. "You idiot." She pinched the space between her brows. "You know what? Fine—I'll leave."  
She started towards the door and grabbed the door handle. A beam of cold ice shot past her and froze the handle.

Starla gasped and took several steps back, startled.

The instant she did, ice beams shot out.  
Starla tried to whirl around to confront Jack, but looked down and realized something _horrible_.

Jack Frost had frozen her feet to the floor.

Starla gasped, astonished that he could _restrain _her by freezing her feet to the floor like that.

Jack picked up his staff and walked by with his usual swagger. "Fiiiine," he said with a long overdramatic sigh. "If you _really _don't want me around, I'll just go."

He turned around, glaring at her in mock anger.

Starla, shocked, yanked at the ice holding her feet to the ground. "J-Jack! Jack, what did you _do_?"  
Jack ignored her. "I mean, I just wanted to be a nice _friend_. Check up on you, maybe make you feel better."  
"Unfreeze—" Starla began impatiently.

"But you just won't have it. You want to be left alone?" Jack turned.

"Jack Frost! Don't you dare—"

"Fine. You can be alone." Jack unfroze the door handle and went to open it.

"NO!" Starla cried desperately. "Come on, Jack, you're not gonna leave me here, right?"  
Jack tilted his head. "Why not? You wanted to be alone."

"But not like _this_." Starla felt so helpless.

"Like what?" Jack pretended not to understand.  
"Jack, my feet!" Starla hissed. "Unfreeze them right now!"  
Jack waved the staff in front of her. "Say the magic word."  
Starla facepalmed, but despite herself, she smiled under her hand. He knew just how to make her smile. "Abracadabra," she said sarcastically.

"Hah." Jack smirked. "You're funny. Nice try, Firefly." He turned to go.  
"No, wait!"

Jack glanced back at her with those ice blue eyes.

"Please." Starla folded her arms over her chest.

Jack brought his face up close to hers. " 'Please' what?"  
She closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "Jack Frost—"

"King of Ice and Snow," Jack interrupted.

Starla rolled her eyes. "King of Idiots, more like." But then she sighed. "Jack Frost, King of Ice and Snow, won't you _please, please_ unfreeze my feet like a good little boy?" She made her best pouty face and clasped her hands like an old fashioned little girl.

Jack chuckled and unfroze her feet with one wave of his staff.

Starla shook her head. "Was that completely necessary, Jack?"

Jack bumped into her playfully. "I'm sorry. I wanted to see if it would make you smile." He crouched down, looking up at her face. "Did it?"  
"Did it what?"  
Jack was earnest. "Make you smile?"  
Starla gave in. "Yes. But it was a pity smile," she added.

Jack laughed and ran a hand through his already messy white hair.

Starla sat down against her bed and leaned back, letting out a long sigh.

Jack sat down next to her. He turned to look at her. "Starla. Are you scared?"  
"Are you?" she asked him.

In truth, Starla _was _scared. Scared for Tooth and Bunnymund, and scared for her own shadow, and children all over the Globe that Pitch was targeting. But she wouldn't _admit_ it.

Jack shook his head. "Afraid of Pitch?" He snickered. "No." But his voice cracked.

"Me neither," Starla said finally.

"So what do we do?" Jack asked her. "About Bunny and Tooth."  
Starla stood. "I dunno. But we can't do anything without stopping that vigil."  
She threw open the door and marched out to where North and Sandy were holding hands with yetis and standing before a Tooth and Bunny monument.

Starla marched over there, grabbing an elf by the head and jingling him so the bells pulled North and Sandy out of their sad trance.

"Rimsky-Korsakov, Starla," North growled. "Vat are you _doing_?"  
"We need to stop this vigil!" Jack said, appearing behind Starla. "And need to start figuring out a way to help Tooth and Bunny."  
North looked like he was going to protest for a minute, then North finally looked at Starla.

"Your call," he said to her.  
She blinked. "M—_my _call?"  
North nodded. "Vy not? Do you have idea to get us started?"  
"I have a basic plan," said Starla, shrugging. "It's pretty vague, and we _could_ do without it. It's kind of like a kick in the head to get us started."  
"Kick in head?" North blinked at Sandy, and then turned to her. "Vell? Vat is kick in head?"  
"Here's the plan," said Starla. "We go to Pitch's lair. We get the shadows out. They'll fly back to their hosts. And we try not to get our shadows taken away."

Sandy gave a thumbs up.

Jack nodded his agreement.

North stood. "Guardians," he said in his loud voice. He smiled. "Ve have ourselves a plan."

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed!  
PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Jack: Keep Calm and Love Jack Frost. **

**Starla: Keep Shining and Love Starla!**

**Jack: What the heck? That's not even a thing! **

**Starla: It's a thing NOW, Jack. **

**Me: You little lovebirds. Love you too! **

**Thanks again, guys, and bye! **


	9. What About Christmas?

**Sorry this chapter is so short! **

**So I know we're not even close to Christmas, but I want some action and humor involved in this story. So the Big Present Delivery Thingy is happening in the next chapter. I hope you guys will like it. :) **

**Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites, guys. Sorry I didn't update in so long! I was REALLY REALLY busy. But for those here who are my Crystal Thief fans, I finished the story! Yay! I actually stayed committed to it and finished, and now am considering a possible sequel sometime later in the future. **

**Anyway. Back to Lights. **

**This is a rather short chapter, like I said before. But it's a preamble to the real Christmassy action! And now I really miss Christmas because I'm writing this. :( **

**North: Doesn't everyone? **

**Jack: *cough cough CONCEITED cough cough***

**North: Vat you say to me? **

**Jack: Nothing, nothing. **

**Me: CHRISTMAS! **

**Olaf randomly pops in: Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs. **

**Jack: ...**

**North: O_O Holy Candycanes maybe you could be an elf and be a worker for me!  
****Me: Okay. Anyways. Since I'm so random and JUST HAD to do that entire weird convo...**

**Thanks to ZambleTheZombie, Fandomrandom, Boomerang, Melantha Frost, Amberflame805, ROTGLOVER, Guest, and FullMetalCanine for reviewing! :D **

**Enjoy the chapter. **

**xx, Crystal**

* * *

"So where are the shadows?"

Starla wanted to cover every aspect of their plan, including location.

North took a deep breath. "The shadows are all in Pitch's lair."  
"Where is that?" Starla asked, trying to take in the entire plan.

North looked at Sandy.

Sandy looked at North.

"Um," said North. "Vere it is. Vell. That is excellent question."  
Starla gaped. "You don't _know_?"  
Jack raised his hand. "I know."  
North glanced at him, surprised. "How do you—"

Jack sighed. "Long story."  
Starla looked at North. "Hold up. North. Before we _rush_ into anything, _I_ need to train." She shook her head. "Get it? North, I could barely make a shield to protect myself back there in Burgess."  
"Yes, yes, training, ve vill get onto that shortly." North wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"What is that?" Jack asked.

North grunted. "To-do list."  
Starla stood. "What else is on your to-do list?" She was eager to get on with the training to retrieve the missing members of the Guardians.

"Vell," North looked down at it. "Prepare for Christmas, vich is in two days; organize the gifts to each individual child by Hemisphere and Continent and then Country and State, if I have time; bake a batch of double chocolate chip cookies for myself; answer a few remaining 'Dear Santa' letters, feed the reindeer, train Starla for—" North stopped abruptly and scanned the to-do list like a maniac.

Sandy made a golden question mark above his head.  
"North?" Starla leaned forward. "Are you—"

North jumped to his feet. "SHOSTAKOVICH!"

Jack widened his eyes. "What? What happened?"  
North was pacing around the room, massaging his temples. "Presents—Christmas—two Guardians lost—for the love of Tchaikovsky—Dimitri Kabalevsky, _what am I going to do_?"  
"North, is everything okay?" Jack stood up to walk over to the older man.  
North ignored him and continued pacing like insane.

"North!" Starla stood up.

No response.

Jack grabbed his staff and shot a beam of ice at an elf that was casually walking by carrying a string of Christmas lights.

"AAAAAGH!" North yelled, turning to Jack. "How many times have I _told _you—"  
"What's WRONG?!" shouted Starla, floating up so she was level with North.

"Christmas!" shrieked North. "Christmas is what's wrong!"  
Jack was totally lost. "...isn't Christmas your holiday, North?"  
"Yes!" North walked up to Jack and grabbed his shoulders to shake him. "Christmas happens to be in two days, Jack! I have barely begun preparations! I can only count on the yetis! I have been so focused on Guardian problems that Christmas is bottom of list! What if—" North sucked in air and shut his eyes. "Rimsky-Korsakov. Christmas is _capoot_."  
"No," Starla said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be that way. We can help you deliver the toys. If you want, I mean."  
North looked up. "It vill not vork. Christmas is just two days avay and I don't understand how I could've forgotten about the most important holiday in the vorld."  
"We can help you!" Jack insisted. "Seriously. How does Christmas usually work?"  
North buried his head into his hands. "I am losing touch."

"_North_!" persisted Jack.

"I ride in sleigh all around vorld using snowglobes. I organize gifts by Hemisphere, Continent, Country, State, and maybe even town. But defenitely I am behind schedule this year."  
"Well, you do that," Starla told him. "And how do the gifts get down the chimney?"  
"Parachutes," North said. "Special parachutes that I built long, long ago. I used to be jumping down chimneys, eating milk and cookies and scooting past angry dogs to put gift under trees. But these parachutes are specially attracted to any sort of plant, especially pine. So they vill fly right to Christmas tree!" North did his signature laugh.

Starla frowned. "What about the milk and cookies?"  
"Are you kidding?" North grinned. "I have my own parachute to get the milk and cookies."  
Jack leaned forward. "Is it true that some kids put reindeer food in the grass?"  
"Yes," North said slowly. "And some pesky little kids try and _film_ us."  
"They'll be pretty disappointed," said Starla, "to know there's no Rudolph."  
"No vone cares about stupid reindeer song!" North hissed. Then he softened. "You really think ve can still pull together halfvay decent Christmas this year?"  
Jack nod-shrugged. "Yeah. We need to keep the wonder alive in the kids." He smiled. "And maybe Starla can help snazz up the house with her lights."  
"And ve can use your snowflakes! HAHA!" North jumped in the air. "And Sandy! Sandy can send good dreams of candycanes and dancing elves to the kids. Yes?"  
Sandy nodded.

"Ahah!" North pumped his fist in the air. "Great Kabalevsky, we may have ourselves a Christmas! Now if you'll excuse me," he pushed his chair back and headed for the door. "I have a few hundred more toys to prepare."  
"Hey, North," teased Starla. " 'He's making a list, he's checking it twice...'"  
North scowled. "Oh. Dat song."  
Jack nudged Starla and stepped forward teasingly. "You _are _checking the list twice, right, Santa?"  
With a harrumph, North headed into his workshop with a last shout over his shoulder.  
"Ah, leave me alone!"

* * *

**North: Whoever made up those songs about me don't KNOW me. **

**Jack: If you don't like them, YOU make up the songs. **

**North: Hmmm. Not bad idea. Thank you Jack. **

**Jack: TT_TT I was being sar-**

**Starla: Just let him be happy. **

**Me: PLEASE REVIEW! AND FOLLOW/FAVORITE MY STORY! And I'll love you all forever and ever! **

**Adios, amigos! **

**xx, Crystal**


	10. Of Greyhounds and Cookies

**Hey guys! A cute chapter, I thought, with a bit of humor. If you guys have any funny moments with any characters you want to suggest, PLEASE DO! I will incorporate it if you would like. Anyway. **

**Thanks to Amberflame805, FullMetalCanine, ZambleTheZombie, and Melantha Frost for reviewing. And speaking of reviewing...**

**North: LET ME DO IT! Review this chapter. Follow. And favorite. And do vatever else makes Crystal happy. **

**Jack: THANK YOU NORTH FOR TAKING OVER MY LINE. **

**Starla: This is SO unnecessary. **

**North: You vanna go, Jack? **

**Jack: YOU WANNA FIGHT, SANTA CLAUS?  
**

**Me: O_O Commercial break. **

* * *

"6 CONTINENTS, 257 COUNTRIES, AND MANY MORE! THIS IS GOING TO BE..._EPIC_!"  
The sleigh, with exactly eight reindeers attached to it, sailed through the night sky, amidst the stars.

Starla loved the feel of the wind in her face, this perfect nighttime moment that just made her want to strike the entire world with her light. The rush of adrenaline she got as she passed the bright stars scattered like fallen buttons across the heavens.

One by one, North had yelled out each continent as they entered, and they had scanned the presents for Naughty or Nice, and then he had thrown the presents down towards the house, and the special parachute lowered it down the chimney.

If there was no chimney, the parachute left it by the front door.

"These parachutes can't be _for real_!" Jack breathed.  
North smirked. "See it and veep, Jack!" he barked. "They are so very much real!"

The reindeer flew on, and Starla kept teasing North about Rudolph until they reached America.

"Here ve are!" North yelled. "North America!"

North sailed the reindeer like a magical train throughout the entire sky.

He used this thing that looked like a sprig of holly to scan each and every present belonging to the child on the street to figure if it was Naughty or Nice.

"Because," he said with a chuckle. "even Santa cannot keep track of who in the entire vorld is Naughty or Nice."  
"Can we go into Jamie Bennett's house?" Starla smiled. "He's the only child that believes in me, and—"

North nodded, and landed the sleigh on the roof. "Be quick," he warned them. "Ve don't have too much time though this is our last continent."  
" 'Kay," Starla called, and soared down towards Jamie's chimney.

"Copycat!" North hissed.

Starla turned back, and realized Jack was following her.  
"I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity to keep you from screwing up." He grinned at Starla, and she playfully shoved him aside as she slipped down the brick chimney.

"Hey, look!" Jack pointed at a glass of milk and a few stacked chocolate chip cookies on the table.  
Starla was too amazed by the decor to look at the milk and cookies. The fireplace had stockings and green and red lights strung up. Wreaths were everywhere, miniature figurines of Santa and the Elves, a Christmas tree. The whole room smelled like pine and childrens' anticipation.

Starla grinned. "Can I light the tree?"  
Jack shrug-nodded. "I don't see any reason why not. But _I'm _going for those cookies." He smirked. "North needs to lay off the sweets." Jack grabbed a cookie and bit in. He let out a "mmm" noise. "Mrs. Bennett," he said, swallowing his mouthful. "is _amazing_. I need more!"  
"You sound like a fricking zombie," Starla grinned.

"You mean those undead things that come out at you in the night?" Jack made a face. "Jamie has zombie books all over his room."  
Starla flew around the tree. "Jack—how do you turn the lights on the tree?"  
Jack pointed with his mouth full of cookie. "T'ere a p'ug."  
Starla blinked. "I'm sorry—what?"  
Jack swallowed the cookie. "There's a _plug_. You have to plug it into the socket thingy on the wall. See it? Right there."

"Got it." Starla plugged the plug into the socket, and within seconds, the whole tree had lit up with pinks, reds, blues, oranges, golds, and greens. With a cry of awe, Starla stumbled back into a toy truck. She tripped over it onto the floor, and it started making siren noises, glowing red, and zipping around at random.

"Whoa!" Jack jumped into the air as the truck crashed into the table over and over again.

Suddenly, Starla spotted something with glowing eyes by the stairs. "_JACK_!" she screeched, and rushed over to him, leaping into the air.

He looked over and let out a yell. "Abby! It's Abby, Jamie's dog!"  
"Is she dangerous?" Starla panted.  
Jack sighed. "She hates intruders."  
Starla facepalmed. "So that means..."  
"Yeah. We're dead meat."  
Starla leaped onto the countertop, but slipped on a soapy mess Mrs. Bennett had left behind in her hurry to get the children tucked in on Christmas Eve. Pots and pans clattered to the floor. Jack sought refuge atop the table, knocking down the milk and cookies.  
"_No_!" he moaned. "Perfectly good cookies gone to waste."

"Jack!" Starla screamed. "How do we get rid of Abby?"  
She was a large skinny dog, stretched thin like an elastic. She was obviously very athletic and fast, and could jump high enough to grab both of them even if they flew, thanks to the Bennett's low ceiling.

"Um," Jack offered helpfully from atop the table. "Look for something that we can distract her with!"  
Starla glanced around the kitchen but didn't see anything. "I don't—" she began.  
"GOT IT!" Jack yelled. "Right above you. See that big yellow bag with the yellow dog on it?"  
Starla looked up and spotted it. "...yeah?"  
"Get it down and dump it on the floor!"  
Starla was lost. "What's in the bag?"  
Jack gestured wildly. "You'll see! Now do what I say! Hurry before Abby chews my leg off!"  
Starla reached for the bag. "How does Abby see both of us?"  
"Dogs believe," Jack said with a teasing grin.

Starla grabbed the whole bag. "Now what? Just...just dump it?"  
Jack thought about it. "No. Um, Mrs. Bennett shakes it first. Shake the whole bag, get her attention. Then dump it on the ground."  
Starla shook the bag. "Come here, girl!" she called. "Abby, come here! Wanna see what's in this bag?"  
Abby crept forward, belly to the ground, still alert about the intruders.  
"It's okay, Jamie, stay up here. I'll go check it out, honey!" called Mrs. Bennett from upstairs.

Starla shot a panicked glance at Jack. "Jamie's mom is coming down!"  
Jack shrugged. "She can't see us. But dump the bag before she faints from seeing a floating bag of kibble."  
Starla blinked. "Kibble?"  
"Dog food."  
_Ohhhhh_. Starla understood. She dumped the bag on the ground, and Abby attacked it, licking it luxuriously off the floor.

"We fly back up the chimney now," Jack reminded Starla.

Starla rolled her eyes. "I _know_, Frosty the Snowman."  
"On three?" Jack asked playfully.

Starla shook her head. "How about right now."  
Jack nodded, agreeing. "Okay."  
The two of them took off past Abby and up the chimney, leaving a bewildered Mrs. Bennett to wonder what had happened to set off her dog and light up her entire living room with the spirit and joy of Christmas.

"That was easy. Piece of cake!" North grinned. "Vith my helpers, I think this was easy Christmas. Vat you say, Jack and Starla?"  
Jack smiled. "Pretty easy."  
Starla sighed theatrically and exchanged a look with Jack. "Couldn't have been easier."  
North grinned. "Glad to know!" He cracked his knuckles. "But now ve must get on vith the tacks of brass."  
Jack nodded. "Exactly. We have to figure out a way to sneak into Pitch's lair and release Bunny and Tooth's shadow before the children stop believing."  
"Meanwhile, Pitch is probably stealing shadows everywhere," Starla said with a sniffle.

North jumped up. "I have new thing installed on globe by yetis," he said. "Shadow tracker! Look at it! The little black clouds are shadows being taken."  
Starla gaped. "That's a _LOT_!"  
North grimaced. "I agree. It is. That is vhy ve as the Guardians, must stop Pitch."  
Jack nodded, and Sandy nodded as well. He made a few images above his head.  
"Sandy has to go send out his Dreamlines," said North with a nod. "You two can stay here, however. Unless there is something else you vant to do until our battle planning tomorrow?"  
Jack shrugged. "I'm going out. I love nighttime. Starla, do you wanna come?"  
Starla smiled. "I have nothing else to do. Okay."  
Jack elbowed her. "On three?" He was quoting from their Abby incident, and Starla got it.  
Starla walked towards the door. "Uhh...how about right now?"  
Jack followed. "Okay."  
North leaned back. "Vat has gotten into you two?"  
"A little fun at Jamie's," Jack said vaguely at the door.  
"Ah!" North walked forward, belly jiggling. "Speaking of Jamie, did he leave me those yummy double chunk cookies that his mom makes every year?"  
Before North could ask more, the winter spirit and the light spirit were already gone.

North was confused for a few moments, and then realization shot through his mind.  
"JAAAAAACK! YOU ATE MY COOKIES?!"

**North: I still cannot believe you ate my cookies. Jamie's cookies are the best. **

**Jack: I totally agree. They were delicious. **

**North: *curses in Russian***

**Starla: *covers an elf's ear* **

**Jack: *looks kinda freaked out***

**Me: I'm so done. Remember to review, follow, and favorite. And no matter what, DO NOT eat the cookies reserved for Santa Claus. Lesson learned.**

**Jack: Bye guys!**

**Starla: Keep Shining and Love Starla!  
****Jack: Keep Cool and Love Jack Frost! **

**Me: Byeeee! **


	11. A Little Encounter

**Hi everyone! **

**Another update for my lovely readers! **

**Jack: This isn't a funny chapter. **

**North: It is a little. I get hot chocolate. **

**Sandy: *makes random pictures* **

**North: *looks awkward* I'm sorry I took your hot chocolate, Sandy.**

**Readers: HUH?  
****Jack: You'll see. **

**Starla: Hi everybody! **

**Me: Okay, so everybody rev-**

**Jack: EVERYBODYREVIEWFOLLOWANDFAVORITEBECAUSEITMAKESCRYSTALHAPPY! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!**

**Me: TT_TT**

**North: You. Vill. Pay.**

**Jack: *takes out ice staff***

**North: *calls out yeti army***

**Starla: *takes out popcorn***

**Me to Sandy: *whispering* Call the police. **

**Thanks to Amberflame805, Guest, ROTGLOVER, Melantha Frost, WhovianNightFury13, and Fandomrandom for thir fantastic reviews. **

**Okay everybody! Enjoy the chapter! And like Jack said, reviews are appreciated and please follow and favorite. **

**ENJOY!  
****xx, Crystal**

* * *

"Do you like the cold?"

Starla blinked at Jack in the starlight of December and slowly shook her head. "No. Not really. I mean, I can tolerate the winter. But I'm not particularly _fond_ of it."  
Jack made a pouty face. "But all the girls are fond of me," he said, and then grinned to show he was joking.  
Starla moved closer. "I said the _winter_, Frostbite." She raised her eyebrows. "Not you."  
Jack tilted his head. "So you _do _like me?"  
Starla shrugged. "Yeah."  
Jack grinned and waved his staff. A shower of snowflakes began falling from the black night sky. "How much?"  
Starla rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to _rate _how much I like you, Jack Frost." She laughed then. "Be right back!"

Starla took off soaring down, like a falling comet, straight for the ground, then swooped upwards and spread her arms out against the snow and the wind and the cold, and let her lights dapple the entire city like fireflies in the sky.

Jack smiled softly when she was all done. "Nice," he said. "But it's not as cool as my snow."  
"_Dream on_, Frost," said Starla with a smirk.

She took a deep breath and inhaled the wintry smell of pine. The smell reminded her of Jack, a nice scent that she liked to breathe in. She looked at Jack. She had never actually realized it before as they teased each other mercilessly, but he was actually kinda maybe sorta attractive...

His white spiky hair complimented his pale skin, pale lips, and ice blue eyes. She wondered if his skin was as cold as the snow he formed with his hands. She loved his blue hoodie with frost patterning the edges, and she looked down to his frayed brownish pants, and then his pale bare feet.

"Why don't you wear shoes?" she asked, crinkling her nose.

"Why does it bother you?" Jack squatted, holding his staff next to him.  
"It doesn't," Starla said nicely. "And I asked you first."

"Oh." Jack scratched his head. "I...I died like this. With my feet bare. I never had shoes on."  
Starla flinched. Uncomfortable subject. "What were you doing when you died, Jack?"  
Jack grinned. "Ice skating with my sister."

Starla leaned backwards like he had just slapped her. "Jack—_ice skating_? With no _shoes_?"  
Jack shrugged. "I just don't like shoes. When I became a Guardian, North had this pair of shoes made for me. Blue, with pointy tips, with all this gold design stuff on it." He shook his head. "Never wore 'em. Just seemed pointless to me." He glanced at her feet.

Starla laughed. "Now we're looking at each other's feet. God, this is awkward."  
Jack burst out laughing, and so did Starla.

Their laughter chimed through the night air, crystal clear, like birdsong, slicing the stars, carried on the wind.

The laughter naturally died down, and Jack and Starla settled on a rooftop to stare out across at the sky, filled with magic, lights, and falling snowflakes.

"They're so pretty," Starla mused, as Jack trapped a small snowflake on his palm. She looked at the lacy work on it. "It's so true what they say."  
Jack raised his head. "What do they say?"  
"No snowflake is exactly alike."  
"Oh." Jack blew the snowflake gently into Starla's face. She smiled at him as they sat on the rooftop. Jack took a deep breath. "You're really nice," he told her. "And pretty. And I like your lights, Firefly."

Starla blinked, and she could feel her face getting warm all over, despite the chilly December air. "Why are you bringing that up now, Frost?" she challenged him, trying to die down the sparking feelings she felt inside.

Jack shrugged. "Just thought I'd tell you, that's all." He looked away.

_Damn. I broke the moment! _Starla silently cursed herself. She reached out slowly and touched Jack's hand. It was pretty cold, like she imagined it to be. Jack jerked and turned around. "What?"  
Starla forced herself to look at his eyes. "Your hands. They're cold."  
Jack laughed nervously, awkwardly. "Yeah."  
Starla nodded. "Sorry. I just wanted to see how they felt."  
"They're warm compared to yours." Jack raised his hand and pressed it slowly, carefully, against the side of Starla's cheek.

Somewhere nearby a drum was pounding at top speed. That drum was Starla's heart. Her heart was speeding up like a racecar about to win...

She sucked in more air. Jack Frost's hand was touching her face! They were so close, they were alone, it was a magical night—

Starla nearly smacked herself. _I am Starla, and I don't want to fall in love. I am afraid of getting trapped in emotions—it is my biggest fear. I'm scared that if I love somebody, or get too attached, I will lose them. I WILL LOSE THEM AND THEY WILL BE GONE FOREVER. _

_It is my biggest fear. _

_It is written in my shadow._

_I cannot do this!  
NO! _

But despite her thoughts raging in her brain like a fierce thunderstorm, Starla couldn't bring herself to move. The heart wants what the heart wants, and Starla couldn't even shift backwards, she could only get hopelessly lost in Jack's bottomless ice blue eyes.

What was his biggest fear? She wondered.

Jack was so close to her. Their foreheads were nearly touching. _But we only just met about five days ago! Well, yeah, we've known each other for centuries, but never on an actual close-friend basis. So how are we so close to romance up on a fricking rooftop right now? How is this—oh my stars. Is Jack going to KISS ME?  
_Starla's thoughts raced. She couldn't even control them. Suddenly, their foreheads touched. She felt his coolness radiate into her skin. She was sure her face was already beet red from the closeness she was experiencing right now. She could already feel the bottomless maw that was emotion ready to swallow her up forever, never to let her out. She was Starla, the girl with the iron heart that did not want to feel.

Their lips touched.

It was so instantaneous that Starla couldn't do a single thing. Her thoughts were frantic:

_His eyes have a snowflake pattern in them! _

_He closed his eyes. _

_Is he enjoying it?  
His lips are so cold...but I like them. _

_Wait, what?!  
What do I do? I can't fall in love with him! _

Starla didn't move.  
Jack was the one who broke the kiss. He leaned backwards, looking a bit confused. "Starla—"

Starla swallowed and opened her mouth, but only a squeak came out.

Jack reached out and touched her bare shoulders. Shivers ran through her body. She squeaked again, like a little mouse.

"Are you okay?" Jack's brows furrowed.

Starla thought of Bunny and Tooth, eyes vacant, shadows gone, sitting back in Santoff Claussen with children losing hope each hour as their shadows were ripped away by the Nightmare King.

Two words escaped her trembling lips. "I'm scared."  
Jack's eyes widened. "You're scared? Of—"

Cold, cruel laughter erupted through the entire night sky. Jack jumped up in an instant, holding out his staff.

Starla got up, electricity buzzing in her fingertips. She would kill Pitch if he even tried to get close to her shadow. She had too many secrets about tonight weaved into its folds that he could hurt her with.

But Pitch wasn't anywhere there.

But they heard his voice, distinct and low:

"Is this _love_ I see? Funny, coming from a girl that doesn't want to _feel_. Am I right, Starla?"  
She tensed, then shot light straight into the darkness, a grunt escaping her mouth.

"Don't stress yourself," warned Pitch. "I won't hurt you two now. You're all alone, it's Christmas Eve. I'm not _that _cruel." He chuckled. "Go on home. Run along." He clucked his tongue. "My. No one saw _this _coming, did they? The winter spirit with the light spirit."  
Starla gritted her teeth. "We are _not _together."

"Forgive me," Pitch said dryly. "I just thought—with all the touching and the playing and the flirting and the _kissing_—that maybe you _were_ together."  
Jack tensed. "Come on out, Pitch," he called, a bit of dangerousness playing in his voice. "Or are you afraid?"  
Pitch laughed. "_Afraid_? Of who, two _children_? I'm not afraid."  
"You should be," Jack remarked. "You got your ass kicked pretty hard last time you fought with me."  
"Don't be so cocky, Jack," Pitch said calmly. "I've practiced, you know. I'm stronger."  
"Huh, that's cool." Jack narrowed his eyes. "I'm stronger too. We _all _are."  
"But you've lost two," Pitch whispered. "Two Guardians already. How many more Guardians and children will you lose before you prideful spirits decide to give up?"  
"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT WILL GIVE UP!" Jack yelled, and shot forward, grunting, vanishing into darkness.

"Jack!" cried Starla.

Jack appeared again, black mist dissolving away from around him. He looked defeated.  
"Are you okay J—" began Starla, but suddenly, something grabbed at her shadow. It didn't hurt, but it defenitely applied pressure to her entire body. With her shadow, she jerked forward.  
Jack's shadow was snaking towards hers.

They collided and became one shadow.

Starla smacked into Jack Frost. Hard. Jack grabbed her around the waist to steady her, and electricity spread through every single muscle in Starla's body. She was on fire.

"Not wanting to feel emotion, Starla?" Pitch chuckled. "You're not doing a very good job right now." Another sinister, dark laugh. "I think I know exactly how to get you to feel things. Just—do—this." He jerked at her shadow again, twisting it against Jack's. Starla's forehead pressed onto his so their eyes were glued.

"Want to dance with the winter spirit, little Starla?" Pitch taunted from the darkness.  
"Stop it!" Jack yelled. "She's had enough."  
Starla whimpered, trying to break free. Her emotions were like a hurricane, swirling inside of her. She was trapped. Her worst fear was nearly almost coming alive right this second.

She fell without warning.

She plummeted straight out of the sky.

For one moment, Starla was not a flier, she was just free-falling towards her certain death.

Jack zoomed under her at the last minute, and she heard him grunt in pain as he caught her mid-fall. Starla, eyes glazed, stared off into the distance, the pains and the agonies of the last few minutes replaying over and over again in her mind.

Darkness shot through the air, slamming into Jack. He released Starla, and she fell, slamming into the earth, dirty snow mixed on her face, her shoulder releasing a fresh wave of pain. Starla had cut her shoulder with a rock. Now droplets of blood stained the snow.

"Jack," Starla croaked. "Jack."

That was all she remembered before the world around her went totally and completely black.

* * *

"Give her some space, for the love of Tchaikovsky! Bingle, vould you _get back_? Good grief!"  
Starla opened her eyes slowly. She closed them. Then opened them. Her shoulder stung, and she self-consciously wiped her face. There was no dirt—someone must've cleaned her face off.

"Jack," she whispered. "He's—he's hurt—"

"Nah, I'm okay," came a voice.

Starla twisted around to see the winter spirit grinning at her, despite a slight bruise to the side of his temple. She exhaled sharply. "Ohmy_god_."

"Rough night?" North felt her forehead, then winced. "Burning hot like Christmas fire!"

Jack stepped forward and squatted down next to her. "You okay, Firefly?"  
Starla watched North rustle up the elves and Sandy and tiptoe out of the room, closing the door softly.

"Yeah," Starla whispered.  
"What was Pitch talking about? Back in town. About you not wanting to feel?" Jack's voice was careful, but holding a demanding undertone.

Starla tried to make it light and innocent, hoping Jack would shrug it off. "It's just this...thing."  
"What does it mean?" Jack demanded, standing up. "And I know what it is. I've been through this same thing before. It's a _fear_."  
"Hold on a second!" Starla sat up, now recoiling in shock that Jack had said it so _loathingly_. "It's _not _a fear," she lied, angrily. "I'm not afraid of _anything_!" Fear was another emotion Starla didn't want to get tangled in.

"Ohhh, you're not?" Jack stepped forward threateningly. "I had to save your life back there."  
Too shocked to even reply, Starla jammed her finger into Jack's chest. "I. Didn't. Need. You."  
Jack looked slightly hurt and a bit offended, but he played it cool and smirked. "You think so, huh?"  
Starla knew she _had_ needed him. She was just being stupid. She took a deep breath. "You may have saved my life but don't think I'm gonna be your humble servant and cater to your every need."

"Spare me," Jack snapped. "I _helped _you. Your shadow would be taken if I hadn't helped you. And I helped you because I CARED ABOUT YOU!"

Silence.

Starla cleared her throat. "Well, that's nice. But I'm still not afraid."  
It was a total lie. A lie just spread out in front of her so she could look at all the stupid stuff weaved into it. It was a stupid, plastic lie and Jack looked _so upset_.

_Why, _Starla thought unhappily_. Am I so scared to admit that I'm afraid?_

Jack just turned around and left the room, shaking his head, muttering inaudible words under his breath.  
Starla fumed, wrapped in North's green stupid Jingle Bells blanket. She picked up a knit pillow that said "For Nicky,"—for _Nicky_?—held it up to her face, and screamed into it so it muffled the curses spilling out of the light spirit's mouth.

"You take Jack, I'll take her," came North's voice. Even when he was trying to whisper, it sounded like he was speaking regularly.

Starla raised her head. Sandy drifted off into Jack's room.

North entered. "Hello, there, Starla," he said awkwardly, standing. "Can I sit down?"  
"Yes, of course you can, North!" she snapped. "It's your house." Then she felt rude and stupid and worthless and she sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, North. I'm just feeling a bit...off. Here. Sit." She moved over, and the huge man sat down next to her, smelling like candycanes and gingerbread.

"Candycane?" he offered her.  
Starla accepted and stuck it in her mouth, sucking on the sweet minty treat. It sucked out some of the burning heat inside her.

She anxiously rubbed the settled cut on her shoulder and then looked at North. "So."  
"So," he said finally. "I do not have much experience with love, but—"

The candycane nearly went down Starla's throat. She sputtered and choked and finally stared at North. "_Love_?" she breathed.  
The worst of all emotions to feel. Love was like a rope that never left you. It held on forever and ever till the end of time. She shuddered.

"Yes, love," North said impatiently. "You. In the throes of young love. With Jack?"  
"Are you out of your mind?" yelled Starla. "You think we're in—love?!"  
North sighed. "Tou-chy. Alright. We forget, we overlook. I just vant to talk to you about vat happened tonight. Okay?"  
Starla blinked. "North, honestly, I barely remember anything."  
"This is _important_, Starla!" North barked, leaning forward. "You have to at least tell me a little."  
Starla sighed. "Well. Jack and I were sitting on a rooftop—"

"Not at all in love," North interrupted.

Starla rolled her eyes. "Right. And then Pitch was there. But not _there_."  
"STOP SPEAKING IN RIDDLES, GIRL!" North bellowed. "Not there, but here, not here, but _there_. Vat is this—quantum physics?!"  
Starla pinched the space between her eyebrows. "This isn't going well."  
"Continue!" the older man barked.

"Well, it was just his _voice _that was near me and Jack. The actual Pitch wasn't anywhere there."  
"Are you _certain_?" North demanded, voice hushed.

"Pretty sure," Starla confirmed.

"Shostakovich," North whispered.

Starla chose to ignore that and continued. "He combined Jack and my shadow."  
"Are you still attached?!"  
Starla inhaled. "North. If we were both attached now, wouldn't we be stuck together?"  
North nodded. "Ah. Yes. Right."  
"He was..._playing_. With our shadows," Starla continued. "He didn't attack. There were no Nightmares. He said he didn't want to attack us just yet, when we were uncovered and alone."  
"That does not seem like Pitch," mused North.

"Well, he didn't hurt us too bad," Starla offered. "But then I felt like my entire insides were being ripped out."  
"Your shadow," North said with a nod, grim. "He vas trying to take your shadow. And he vas also reading your shadow vhile he stole it."  
"It hurt like hell," Starla explained. "And yeah. I could feel him reading my thoughts and my emotions and the rest of that crap."  
"Not crap," North told her. "It can be valuable. _Really," _he added when she looked doubtful.

"Anyway," Starla kept going with her story. "I fell. I felt sorta powerless when he read my shadow. I don't know. And then Jack caught me in midair. And he stopped Pitch from reading the rest. He shot him with his ice spear—"

"It is a staff," North said vaguely. "And Jack saved you."

"I know." Starla sighed. "It was wrong of me to yell at him. But that's the thing. I hate being afraid." Pressure pooled behind her eyes, and Starla pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes to stop any future tears. "And I hate to cry."

"It is alright to cry," North said gently, rubbing her back. "And it is alright to be afraid. Everyone is afraid at some point in their lives, Starla. No use trying to hide it. Because it shows. Fear cannot really be hidden."  
Starla gazed up at North, and then gave him a tiny smile.

"Are you alright?" he asked her softly.

She nodded.

North nodded, too. "Thank you for telling me vat happened. I appreciate it."  
"You're welcome," Starla whispered.  
"I vill give you something to drink!" North announced, standing up. "How about some milk? Or, hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate. Please." Starla smiled at North. Then slyly, a trace of the old Starla coming back, she held up the pillow embroidered with "For Nicky."

North turned red as she held it up.

She raised her eyebrows. "Who's Nicky?"  
North ran back to the kitchen shouting, "Hot chocolate for everyone!"  
Starla laughed and opened the door to face the wind.

* * *

"It's _her_, Sandy!" Jack facepalmed repeatedly. "Not me! She's the one doing this! She's playing a sick mind game with me. It really sucks—I keep thinking about her. What's happening to me, Sandy?"  
Sandy made a heart shape above his head.

"Ah, shut up." Jack threw a pillow at the golden man.

Sandy made a pouty face and a few images. _I think perhaps you two should talk a little. _

"About what?" Jack raged. "And why? So Starla can yell her little guts out at me again?"  
_She's probably sorry. North talked to her_.

"So?"  
_He probably talked some sense into her_.

Jack grumbled. "Knowing North, he probably started swearing in Russian and throwing elves around. And Starla probably got up and left."  
_Jack, don't be so judgmental_. Sandy made a no-no gesture with his index finger and narrowed his eyebrows.

Jack sighed. "Sorry."  
Sandy smiled kindly at him. _Talk to her, Jack. We need her for the fight with Pitch. And we cannot be enemies with her—she's nice. You know she's nice._

"Yeah," Jack mumbled. "So you're saying _I_ should cow down and apologize?"  
_It's not cowing down_! Golden sand rushed out of Sandy's ears. _Come on, Jack, don't be cliche! It's being a gentleman. _

"That's not what I am," Jack said quietly. "I'm Jack Frost, the Spirit of Winter, the Guardian of Fun. I am a lot of things, but I'm not a gentleman."  
Sandy shrugged. _Oh, well. I tried. Well. Don't apologize then. You'll have more luck if you do. But why don't you just try talking normally to her right now?  
_"I think what I'm gonna do is cool off, Sandy," Jack retorted, and slipped out the window.

Sandy sighed, more sand rushing out of his ears.

_If only he'd listen_!  
"Okay! Let's bring them together!" North charged into Jack's room.

Jack wasn't in there. Only Sandy, who shrugged. _I couldn't stop him._

North held out the two cups of hot chocolate. "Vell? Vat do I do with these?!"

Sandy gestured to North, then to himself.

North nodded. "Gooooood idea, Sandy! Hahaha, you little man!" North tipped both cups back and drank them.

Sandy rolled his eyes and left the room, leaving North to his precious cups of hot chocolate.

* * *

Starla was out in the grass.

Lights floated up at the slightest twitch of her hand, and filled the entire yard in front of North's Workshop in Santoff Claussen. She giggled.

Jack sat on the roof of the workshop, watching Starla command the lights. Her entire body glowed. She floated like a heavenly being, just above the grass, one with the lights.

Jack cupped his hands and blew a breath of wind that danced around her, billowed her hair and her dress, and flew away her lights, like weightless lanterns, into the beyond.

Starla smiled and flew gently after them, landing in the snow, her feet making imprints in the white powderiness.

Jack found himself grinning as he teased her with little breaths of wind and snowflakes. Snowflakes covered her hair and her dress and she laughed, trying to shake them off. Jack hoped she wasn't getting too cold, and that she liked the wind and the delicate tiny snowflakes, like ballerinas, that he sent her way.

Starla turned abruptly, and spotted the sender of her snowflakes.

Jack Frost.

He stood up, hooked his staff over his shoulder, and walked upwards to the other side of the roof with a haughty display.

Ooookay.

Starla floated upwards. She knew _she _was the one that owed Jack an apology.

She flew up onto the roof and landed on the icy surface. "Jack?" she called. "Jack, can we talk?"  
No response.

"Please."  
Jack rose slowly, legs wrapped around the staff. He landed a few feet away from her.

"Hey," he said finally, running a hand through his already messy white hair. He was breathtaken by Starla's current appearance.

Her thin white dress billowed in the breeze and her blonde hair whipped to the side. Her green eyes were wide and focused on him, and snow danced in her hair and all around her. She looked so...beautiful.

Jack broke those thoughts hastily.

"Hey." Starla nodded, realizing he was there. She took a step forward, the dress blowing behind her now as the wind shifted direction. "Jack." She pressed her face to her hands, let out a little moaning sound, and then pulled her hands down, fiddling with her dress. "Jack, I'm so sorry. About...snapping."  
"Don't—don't apologize," Jack said quickly. "It's fine. I just—I mean—I—I'm glad you're—I'm glad you're okay."  
Starla made a "mmmhmm" noise that she hoped passed off for a yes, but they were both pretty pissed about Pitch and the shadow stealing.

"I feel bad for those kids," Jack said quietly. "That will wake up tomorrow morning and realize the Tooth Fairy never came."  
"Before that happens, you know what we have to do?" Starla asked suddenly.  
"What?"  
"Get the Baby Tooth Fairies! From the Tooth Palace! They can help us!"  
Jack nodded. "Yeah! Let's do it. But you look pretty tired. So why don't you go to bed? I'll do that right now."  
"Really?" Starla took a deep breath. "Are you sure? I'm okay, I can—"

"Go," Jack said with a grin. "Firefly."  
The nickname meant they were on okay terms again, and Starla smiled in relief. "Okay."

* * *

Starla was already asleep when Jack went back inside her room about an hour later. He looked at the sleeping form, a few melted snowflakes in her hair, and he smiled.

He didn't know what he was feeling, but he sort of liked it.

He walked over to the window, tapped it with his staff so frost spread over the glass.

Then ever so carefully he used his finger to draw a smileyface.

"Goodnight," he whispered to Starla, then he left the room, leaving only the frosty smileyface behind to watch over the sleeping girl.

* * *

**Hey guys! **

**So please leave reviews to let me know if these awkward kinda love scenes between Jack and Starla are weird or cute or what. Please. I neeed some feedback! **

**Starla: Hey, North. So who IS "Nicky," anyway?  
****Jack: I bet it's North. **

**North: And did you know that in some fanfictions, you're portrayed as a girl? *smirks***

**Jack: ...you're LYING to me.  
****Me: No...he's not. But North, how did YOU know that? **

**Starla: Have you been reading fanfiction, North?  
****North: ...**

**Me: Okay then. Until the next update, guys!**

**xx, Crystal**


	12. Why Didn't The Tooth Fairy Come?

**Hey lovely readers! Another update!**

**So, this is a rather short chapter, and I apologize. But please give me feedbacks! If you want to suggest a scene between Jack and Starla or anything, or what's going on in Bunny or Tooth's head, I am up for requests. If you want to. that is. :)**

**North: I am telling you, I don't read fanfiction!  
Me: Well, how else would you know about the Female Jack fics?**

**North: I am very intelligent. **

**Starla: ...or you read fanfiction.**

**Jack: I still don't believe it. Like, _what_? How am I a girl?**

**Me: TT_TT It's just a unique way of changing Rise of the Guardians.**

**Jack: NO. **

**North: I don't know, perhaps you'd look good as a Jacqueline Frost...**

**REPLY TO COMMENTS: ****Amberflame805: **** Aw, thanks. I was going for "cute." :D You're such a loyal reviewer, if you want to suggest a cute scene or something with Jack and Starla, feel free! **

**Fandomrandom:****Thank you! I try. Jack: Not hard enough. Me: *whacks him with pillow* **

**Melantha Frost: **** Thank you! :D**

**LittleAngel:**** Ooooh, new reviewer! Hi! Thank you for your beautiful review! And enjoy the rest of "Lights."  
**

**Okay! At last. Onto the chapter!**

**-xx, Crystal **

* * *

"You guys are...sick?" Jack stared at Baby Tooth, who was squeaking at him.

She sneezed and shook her head, making hand motions. Jack blinked. "You're _weak_."  
She nodded.

"Because of Pitch. Because of Tooth and her shadow."  
Baby Tooth nodded again.

"Uh, okay." Jack looked back in the direction of Santoff Claussen and then back at Baby Tooth. "Tell the Baby Fairies they can ride in my hoodie pockets, or on my staff if they're too tired to fly."  
Baby Tooth smiled gratefully and went off to tell the other fairies the news.

Jack scowled—things were worse than they appeared to be.

* * *

Back safe at the North Pole, the fairies streamed around North's front room.

"North?" Jack called, coming inside. He was tired and aching and he was hoping to talk to Starla for a bit today. The hours were growing thinner, and more and more black shadow-stealing clouds were appearing on the globe.

Jack was getting more and more worried.

He walked into Starla's room. Not for any particular reason, but he saw his frosted smileyface had still remained on the window. Grinning in pleasure, he stood in front of the cracked mirror North had made for Starla when she stayed at the Pole.

He ran a hand through his hair to attempt to pat it down after his wild fly here with the Baby Fairies.

"Hey, Jack." Starla whispered, rubbing her green eyes.

Her blonde hair was messy and not in its usual half ponytail, but just loose everywhere in a pale gold halo around her head.

She rubbed the back of her neck and sat up completely. Jack's face turned slightly pink when he realized she was in her usual spaghetti strap dress, but it had slid down lower, revealing slight cleavage.

Jack blinked. Whoa. She was so

The feelings he felt for this girl were _so_ abnormal. Jack silently cursed himself out in his head.

Starla looked confused, glanced down, and then gasped quickly, almost as if she was realizing where she was and what was happening.

"Sorry!" Jack quickly glanced out the window to avert his eyes.

"Sorry!" Starla said at the same time, yanking up the top of her dress.

"I just came in here to—" Jack cleared his throat. There was actually no real reason he had come in here except to pay his frosty smileyface a visit.

"It's okay!" Starla said with a grin. "I saw you checking yourself out in the mirror."  
Jack relaxed and smiled. "You...you did?"  
Then quickly, he realized that he was pretty much invading Starla's privacy, and that she probably wanted to be alone.

_Damn, Jack! Why can't you THINK_?

Jack headed for the door. "Sorry. I'll just—I'll wait outside. But I was wondering—"

"Mmm?" Starla straightened out her dress as she slipped off the bed and attempted to mat down her frizzy mane of blonde hair.

"If you wanted to go into Burgess with me. To see Jamie and the other kids. See how they feel about the Tooth Fairy—"  
Starla frowned. "Yeah. Poor them. I'll come, Jack. Wait for me outside."  
Jack stepped out into the halllway, where he could finally breathe.

* * *

_Oh my stars_.

How embarrassing! Starla's face was bright pink as she straightened out her dress and finger-brushed her wavy blonde hair.

She pulled it up into a ponytail, stared at her freaked expression in the mirror, and practiced smiling.

She thought of all that had happened yesterday:  
The rooftop kiss that she and Jack had shared.

Their encounter with Pitch.

Her big fall.

Her little fight with Jack.

Her talk with North.

The quickly running out time.

And now, a visit to Burgess.

"Okay," Starla said softly.

Then she adjusted her hair one last time then slipped out the door to go with Jack to Burgess.

* * *

"This place is gorgeous in the morning," Starla breathed as the two spirits flew over the little town.

"Look!" Jack pointed. Jamie and his friends were already outside.

Starla smiled. "Do you think they're talking about the presents North gave them last night?"  
"I dunno." Jack frowned. "They look upset. Come on. Let's go see."

The two of them landed a short distance away.

"Hey, Jamie!" Jack called, waving at the kids and attempting to be merry. "Hey, guys. Merry Christmas!"  
"Hey, Jack." Jamie looked grumpy. "Hey, Starla. Thanks for leaving the lights yesterday."  
Starla flushed with pleasure. "You're so welcome."  
Pippa slowly looked at the place where Starla was standing. Starla blew her a little light, and then after a moment's hesitation, blew lights to all the children.

Pippa smiled after the light hit her nose, and she giggled. "Oh. So _this_ is Starla."  
The other kids began nodding.

"See?" Jack nudged her. "They're all beginning to believe."  
Starla thought about what her task was as a Guardian. Basically, it was to protect the innocence of children by preventing Pitch from taking the shadows. But how could she do that when so many shadows were disappearing?  
"So the gang's all here," Jack was saying. "Cupcake, what didja get for Christmas?"  
Cupcake blinked. "From my _mom_, you mean?"  
Jack looked shocked, and he looked at Starla. The other kids stared at the floor.

"From your _mom_?" Jack demanded. "No. From _Santa Claus_."  
Cupcake looked up into Jack's ice blue eyes. "I don't believe in Santa Claus anymore. And I certainly don't believe in the Tooth Fairy."  
"Why _not_?" Starla's voice was pleading now.

"This is why." Claude stepped forward and held out a cupped mittened hand to Starla. She and Jack gazed down into the hand and saw a single tooth.

Claude showed them the empty space in his mouth, and then looked back at the Tooth. "The Tooth Fairy never came," he said sadly. "She must not like me."  
"No! That's not t—" Jack started to say, then he cut himself off. If he told the kids about the shadow stealing, that would bring fear into their hearts, thus leaving them more vulnerable to Pitch's evil games.

Without a word, Jack took off flying.  
"Jack!" called Jamie in dismay.

"It's alright, Jamie." Starla touched Jamie's shoulder. "He's a little upset."  
"But he's supposed to be _fun_," Monty whined.

"I know." Starla nodded at the little blond kid. "There's just been a bit of trouble, that's all. And it's left Jack a bit...freaked out."  
"Oh," said Pippa slowly.

"But you have to keep believing," Starla said urgently.

"Are you friends with the Easter Bunny?" Claude asked Starla, tilting his head. "And the Tooth Fairy? And Santa? And the Sandman?"  
"Yes, yes, yes, and yes," said Starla, rubbing her hands together and kneeling down in front of the kids.

"Then tell them to like us again!" begged Pippa. "Pleeeease?"  
"Tell Santa that I'm scared," said Monty quietly. "I woke up last night and saw my mom putting the presents herself under the tree and signing them, 'Santa.'"

"I'm sure that was a dream," said Starla uncertainly. "Because Santa defenitely delivered your presents last night."  
"We can't trust you," Cupcake spat, and then she walked off alone.

"Well, where's the Tooth Fairy?" Caleb asked Starla, tugging on her wrist.

"Um." Starla swallowed. "She's here. She's okay, she's just—" Starla gulped. "It's hard to explain. But everything will be back to normal. Don't be scared, just believe."  
"We don't know _how_!" Jamie cried. "We've forgotten how! Everything just seems so dark and depressing all of a sudden."  
Starla looked down slowly at Jamie.  
_The child didn't have a shadow_.

She took a deep breath. "Ohmygosh."  
"What?" Jamie asked.

"Go on inside," Starla said quietly. "I'll talk to Jack, okay? Everything's alright. Everything's going to be okay."  
She counted.

None of the neighborhood kids were sporting a shadow.

Pitch had stolen them already.

Starla took a deep breath. "I'll talk to you guys later," she whispered, and without a word, took to the air.

She needed to speak with Jack.

Things were messing up faster than the Guardians could fix them.

* * *

**Up next is a little more Jack and Starla drama.**

**And a bit of PITCH.**

**Pitch: Yes. Me. :)**

**Me: ...how did you get here?**

**Pitch: I just GLIDED in. ****Me: Well. Please leave.**

**Pitch: I am allowed to be here since I am in your story. **

**Me: Well THAT'S a NEW rule. **

**Please review! Give me feedback! Or possible scene requests if you want! **

**Bye! Until next time lovely readers. **

**-xx, Crystal**


	13. Fearless

**Warning: this chapter contains a cliffhanger. Idk how you guys feel about cliffhangers, but there is one at the end. And this chapter is once again-sigh-short. And I apologize for that. I'll make it up...someday.**

**Someday soon.**

**Jack: In Crystal's world, someday means never. **

**Me: That is NOT true!  
****Starla: You DO procrastinate a little...**

**Me: TT_TT Right. I procrastinate. Officer, take me away. **

* * *

_Jack_!" Starla shot after the figure in the blue hoodie, glaring.

"What?" Jack didn't turn around, kept flying.

"Why did you just leave like that?" Starla demanded. "Look, I know you're upset. But you're supposed to be the Guardian of Fun—"

"There's no time for that!" Jack snapped. "We have to get back to the North Pole and tell the others that Pitch is attacking faster than we thought he was."  
"So what's the plan?" Starla flew faster to keep up with Jack.

"The plan was originally to free the shadows. But we really have no clue where Pitch's actual center _room_ is, do we? That room, where he imprisoned the Baby Tooth Fairies last time we waged war, is where his Globe and the shadows most likely are. But the travel to get to the room is like this endless maze. So we don't know how to get there."

Starla sighed.

Suddenly, a little head poked out of Jack's hoodie. It was Baby Tooth. She smiled at Starla and nestled against her shoulder. "Hi, Baby Tooth," Starla said, running a finger over the little fairy's delicate little wings.

Suddenly, Baby Tooth's pixie ears twitched. She chirped something really soft that Jack translated for Starla:

"A molar came out on Long Island. Annemarie Drive."  
Baby Tooth took off flying, but Starla cupped her in her hands. "No, Baby Tooth. You can't fly in this weather." She looked at Jack for a long time. "Why is Baby Tooth so eager to fly to the tooth?"  
Jack shrugged sharply. "I dunno. Impulses. She _is _a Tooth Fairy. I mean, since the loss of Tooth, she's been weak. They've _all_ been weak. But still, Baby Tooth has impulses to fly and get the teeth. But now is not the right time. I mean," Jack spread his arms out. "It's a _blizzard_!"  
"Let's get back to the North Pole," said Starla finally. "We have to tell North and figure out the plan. As in, how to get to the center room in Pitch's lair."

"Okay." Jack took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm sorry—I'm sorry for flying off. And I'm sorry for snapping." He ran a hand through his air. "I'm under so much—"

"I know." Starla nodded. "It's okay, Jack. We all are."  
He gave her a tiny, grateful smile and then shot off into the whiteness.

Baby Tooth tensed on Starla's shoulder.  
"What?" Starla glanced at her. "Another fallen tooth."  
_Bicuspid in Juno, Alaska. On Lillian Avenue, _she chirped.

"Oh." Starla nodded. As she looked around, she realized she had lost Jack completely in the blinding blizzard.

"Damn," Starla said finally, staring into the expanse of nothingness. The snow had calmed down a bit but she saw she was somewhere in the random whiteness, her feet nestled in snow. She hugged her arms around her because her dress was blowing upwards in the wind and she was beginning to feel a slight bite from the cold.

"Do you know how to find your way back to the Pole?" Starla asked Baby Tooth.

_I guess. I can locate the other fairies with my radar, so I can probably find the Pole that way._

"Good!" Starla nodded. "Then you go on. Go to the Pole and tell North I need to think by myself for a bit."  
_It's cold!_ Baby Tooth protested. _At least get somewhere warm. And I don't think we should split up, Starla._

"It's fine." Starla smiled. "I'm a spirit, the cold isn't _too_ hard on me. And why don't you think we should split up?"  
_Pitch. _Baby Tooth made a face.

Starla shook her head. "We're both safe, Baby Tooth. Just go on home." She nudged the little fairy foward. "Are you sure you can fly in the blizzard, though?"  
_Of course I can_, Baby Tooth responded, flicking her feathers dramatically. _You'll be okay_?  
Starla smiled. "Absolutely. I'll be back before you know it—I just need to weigh our options."

_Okay_! Baby Tooth took off in a whiz, flying at top speed, dodging snowflakes, disappearing into the storm.

Starla turned around and began floating elsewhere, trying to clear her head.

How would they get to the center of the lair before belief in Tooth vanished?  
I mean there were still months until Easter, so Bunny was safe from unbelief. But Tooth, the spirit who didn't work just one night a year, was in a bit of trouble. And her tooth fairies, too.

Starla twisted a lock of hair, which she did when she was nervous or thinking, trying to figure out what would happen if they _didn't _get to those shadows on time—

"Boo."  
Starla whirled around to see a tall man standing there. He looked like a cutout from a black and white horror movie—tall, grayish, with golden scary eyes and a gaunt face, and tufts of black hair rising off his rather triangular shaped face. In all honesty, he looked like a pencil drawing, with dangerous eyes and an I'm-gonna-getcha smirk on his face.

Starla let out a shriek and rolled backwards, shooting light at him.

"TAKE—IT—EASY!" Pitch yelled, trying to couterblock Starla's vigorous attacks. "Easy, easy, I'm not gonna hurt you!"  
Starla snaked narrowly underneath him and shot him with light from above.

Pitch blocked it with a cloud of black smoke and Starla weaved around him, eyes narrowed, until Pitch tugged at her shadow.

_Hello, Starla_.

Starla winced with pain. He was talking to her from _within _her shadow. He was reading her thoughts, her emotions—

Starla broke away and landed solidly on the ground on her knees. She flipped over onto her back and used her elbows to slowly crawl backwards, trying to get away from the Nightmare King.

"Look," Pitch said through gritted teeth. "I told you, I won't hurt you! Not now, anyways."  
"Why were you trying to take my shadow just now?" Starla yelled.

Pitch shrugged. "You're an excellent fighter. But the only thing about yourself you can't protect with your light is your shadow. So I merely tugged at it, which caused you to stop attacking and fall down. I was merely disarming you, not hurting you. I had no intention of actually taking your shadow now."

"Why not?" Starla hissed. Her heart was thumping hard. She clamored over her elbows backwards but slid deeper into snow. Snowflakes landed all over her.

Pitch glided forward a little. "Because I like you." He stroked his chin. "Your powers are...interesting, little Starla. And you're smart. You know how to fight. And you will work hard for the things you want. But you have one fear that stands in your way."  
"I'm not afraid of you." Starla put on an air of haughtiness.

"No?" Pitch asked. "Alright then. Well, go on. Get up."  
Now Starla was truly shocked. "Stand up?"  
"Unless you want to lie there forever," Pitch said, annoyed. "Get up!"  
Starla scrambled to her feet and held out her hands, which were buzzing with light. "That was a stupid move."  
Pitch shrugged. "I'd say it was a rather _generous _move."  
Starla was taken aback. Pitch Black? Generous? Why was he being like this?  
"I know what your greatest fear is," Pitch said with a smile. "Getting _trapped_. In emotion. Like all fears, this one has an especially tragic starting point."  
Starla swallowed. "A—a starting point?"  
"Want to know?" Pitch teased. "You need the Tooth Fairy. Maybe you can ask your little Baby Fairy friend if she can get you your memories so you can remember what started the fear."  
"I don't want to feel fear!" Starla shouted at Pitch. "And I'm not afraid."

Pitch crossed his arms over his chest. "I _know _you don't want to feel fear. And not just fear—you don't want to feel at all. But you _are _feeling. You are slipping into love and remorse and guilt and thoughtfulness and most of all, you are slipping into an ocean of fear. But all people do that—mortals and spirits and Guardians alike."  
"I don't want to," Starla whispered, dizzy now.

Pitch shrugged. "Well...if you don't want to, there _is_ someone who can help relieve you of that unnecessary burden..."

Starla's eyes widened. "Who?"  
Pitch smiled. "Me. I can make you feel nothing at all. I can take away the pain, the hurting, Starla. I can make you iron-hearted like you always wanted to be. You can be invincible. _We _can be invincible. We can make an unstoppable, UNDEFEATABLE team."  
"A team?" Starla whispered. She thought of the Guardians.

"Of course!" Pitch sidled forward and smiled crookedly. "I can make you feel absolutely nothing. How about it, Starla?"  
Unknowingly, Starla stepped forward, closer to the Nightmare King.

"Do you want this, Starla?" Pitch asked. His voice was so soothing, so enticing. Like water on parched lips. Starla was dying, begging to know more, desiring to know about this possible fearless future she could have.

"I—" Starla took a deep breath. "Jack, the others—"

"Jack Frost," spat Pitch. "Doesn't know a damn thing. The others are all imbeciles. Listen to _yourself_. What is your mind saying, Starla? Does your mind wish to be FEARLESS?"  
Starla sucked in air.

"You can have your memories, everything! And you can be invincible, defeated by none," Pitch continued. "You can have what you wanted with me."  
Pitch Black stretched out his hand. "Take my hand. And you can be _free_ of fear."  
_Fearless_?  
Starla took a deep breath and reached out.

And her hand touched Pitch Black's.

In that instant, she knew she had made a horrible, horrible mistake.

* * *

**Uh-oh. **

**So, give me 3+ reviews and I'll update the next chapter! :) **

**Bye!**

**Jack: You didn't even give me a chance to-**

**Me: Shut up, Frosty. **

**Well. Now that the interruptions are over, BYE GUYS! **

**Send in those reviews, 'cuz I love to read them!  
**

**-xx, Crystal **


	14. Jack Saves Starla

**North: Hello everybody!**

**Pitch: You are not in this chapter, so you are not allowed to star in the Author's Notes.**

**Me: You are not allowed in my Author's Notes at ALL. **

**Jack: Yeah!**

**Pitch: Oh. I see. What an...awkward situation. (Maleficent quote! ;) Haha!)**

**Me: Well, yeah. Okay. Um...bye?  
****Pitch: Let me just speak to the kids of the world first. **

**Me: I don't think-**

**Pitch: Do you believe...in the Bo-**

**Jack: *slams door* **

**Me: Thanks.**

**Jack: Don't mention it. **

**Pitch: *from outside* You have not seen the last of Pitch B-**

**Jack: *throws snowball that smashes into his face* Wow I love doing that. **

**Thanks to CloudStrife12345, WhovianNightFury13, Melantha Frost, Phantom of the Black Pearl, and Amberflame805 for their amazing reviews! **

**Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

"NO!"

Starla jerked her hand away from Pitch, trembling violently. "Ohmygod!" She covered her mouth with her hand. "What have I done?"  
Pitch reached for her. "Why did you pull away?"  
"No! I don't want this!" Starla stumbled backwards, into the snow. She scrambled up to her feet and flew straight into the air. "I don't want to go with you!"  
Pitch narrowed his eyes. "I'll tell you what, girl. You don't KNOW what you want."  
Starla gasped as Pitch sent beams of darkness flying straight towards her.

* * *

_Jack! Jack! JACK, wait for me!_ Baby Tooth flew after the boy in the blue hoodie. But of course, Jack couldn't hear her above the wailing of the wind.

Baby Tooth rammed into his shoulder and crawled like a bug towards his hoodie pocket, her natural safe hideaway.

She looked up and realized Jack was _talking to himself_. "Almost there," he was saying. "Keep up with me, Firefly."  
Huh? Baby Tooth was confused. But then she realized who "Firefly" was.

_It was Starla! _

Baby Tooth chirped, sticking her head out of Jack's pocket. _Jack! Jack!_

Jack looked down. "Hi, Baby Tooth."

_Jack, Starla's not there! She lost you in the storm!  
_"_What_?" Jack whirled around. "She could be lost! She could be hurt!"  
_She wanted time to think. But I think Pitch might go after her. _Baby Tooth wrung her hands. _Jack, please, you need to go after her. _

Jack tensed, pulled out his staff, and shot backwards, into the storm, with Baby Tooth chirping out the way from his hoodie pocket.

* * *

"Agh!" Starla dropped to the ground. She was so weak and confused that she could barely remember a thing. Not to mention Pitch was trying to grab at her shadow. Starla scooted backwards and shot light at Pitch.

It would have got him right in the stomach, if he hadn't moved sideways. But the spasms of light were enough to distract him so Starla could get back up to her feet to engage in battle with the Nightmare King again.

"You were trying to hurt me!" Starla yelled. "You were trying to tell me everything was okay when really nothing is okay!"  
"You're making a mess, Starla," Pitch warned. "It's not wise to fight with the Nightmare King."  
"You're making a _mistake_," Starla hissed. "The Guardians are stronger than you are."  
"How would you know?" Pitch taunted. "You're not one of them."

Confusion welled in Starla's heart as she paused in her rapid light firing. "What?"  
Pitch shrugged. "You've never been accepted there. Trust me. I know things." He glided to the side. "Starla. Do you remember Sunny?"  
Starla felt like ice had jabbed her in the side.

"Sunny Wills?" Pitch smiled. "You remember her, don't you? Even after _centuries_ and after death..."  
Starla inhaled sharply. "No."  
Pitch leaned forward darkly. "Your _sister_."

* * *

"STARLA!" Jack screamed as he fought his way through the wind. He looked desperately at Baby Tooth. "Baby Tooth, she's not answering."  
_The wind is too loud_, Baby Tooth said, gesturing helplessly to her ears. _Of course she can't hear you._

Jack flinched against the snow and kept flying. "Are you sure you know the way?"  
_Yes, I'm sure. Straight ahead a few more minutes and we should reach the point where she was before. Unless she moved on..._

Jack glared into the distance and kept flying, yelling Starla's name the whole way.

* * *

"You _do_ remember her, right, Starla?" Pitch asked. "Your little sister. Seven years old when you last saw her. Hair that shone like marigolds, the same vivid green eyes you have. Freckles. Do you remember the nights you stayed up with her to comfort her because of her dreadful Bogeyman nightmares?"  
Starla grimaced. "_I protected her from you_."  
Pitch shrugged. "You did. I can't argue with that. She was safe for years because you were there to comfort her. And then...that fateful day."  
Starla was shaking head to toe. Despite the cold weather, sweat beaded on her forehead. "No. Please—_please_, Pitch—"

Pitch continued, mercilessly teasing the young spirit. "She was playing with that red ball you two always loved to play with. It flew into the road...and she followed it. The car driver wasn't even looking, the shameless idiot."  
Tears ran down Starla's face, thinking of her sweet innocent sister Sunny, who had always wiped Starla's tears away, played with her, cheered her up. The little girl had gotten bullied at school, but she had always been cheerful and happy.  
"It was in the dead of winter..." Pitch whispered. "And you went out looking for her that night. You found her body, and you cried over it all through the night. You died there."  
_I died there. _Starla had never tried to bring back memories of when she had died. But now she remembered it.

"And so...you froze to death under those merciless stars. And then next thing you knew, you had become a spirit. Why you had been chosen is beyond me, but Man in Moon brought you back to life and gave you unimaginable powers." Pitch struck at her, and Starla weakly counterblocked.

"But _why_?" Pitch snarled, stepping forward.

Suddenly, a loud voice sounded. "PITCH! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Jack saw Pitch towering over Starla, who was lying weakly in the snow. Was she dead? He only saw her limp form.

Protectiveness surged through his body, and he shot forward, streaking ice at Pitch. "Leave her alone!" he yelled.

"Insolent boy!" Pitch rose into the air. "You'll pay for interfering! I was just talking to the girl."  
"You've hurt her enough!" Jack snarled, stepping protectively in front of Starla's body. He looked at her to make sure she was okay.

Her arms were wrapped around her body as she scooted desperately backwards. Baby Tooth flew next to her, trying to make sure she was alright.

Jack whirled around. "Pitch, you—"

He was gone.

Jack kept standing, ice staff held out stiffly, just to make sure Pitch Black was completely gone.

"Starla?" he said finally, his voice hoarse. "Starla, are you okay?"  
Tears made tracks on her face, but she wasn't crying. She sat there, staring blankly at him. Jack got closer and squatted down next to her. "What happened?" he asked gently.

Starla didn't say anything—all she did was throw her arms around his neck and bury her face into his shoulder.

Jack wrapped his arms around her, and the two sat like that.

"Are you cold?" Jack asked finally. "Let's get out of the storm. Come on. Can you fly?"  
Starla nodded quietly, and the two set out for home.

But Jack felt that something had changed in Starla. And he wasn't exactly sure what.

* * *

Outside the Pole, Starla took a deep breath, landing. "Jack?"  
Jack looked at her. He wasn't sure how to react. She seemed so fragile that if he touched her she'd probably collapse. Her face was pale and her eyes dull. This was nothing like the sassy, perky Starla that had been teasing him and flirting with him days before. "Yeah?" he asked quietly.

"Can we not tell the others, about...this?"  
Jack took a deep breath. "I—yeah, I guess."

Starla's face crumpled with pain as she thought about Sunny. She had loved Sunny so much, let herself get trapped in emotion, in love and friendship and caring and then she had lost Sunny, and then her own life.

"But," said Jack. "I think it would be better if we did tell the others. They might help—"

"No!" Starla grabbed Jack's arm. "Please, Jack, you can't tell!"  
Jack leaned back. _What had made Starla insist so urgently that he couldn't tell the others?  
_Baby Tooth zipped forward, but Jack cupped her in his hands. "Go inside," he told her. "Don't tell the others anything."  
Baby Tooth went, and Jack walked forward, gripping both of Starla's arms. "Why were you with Pitch?"  
"I wasn't—" Starla began, then she faltered.  
"Tell me," Jack pressed gently.

Starla took a deep breath. "Please don't be mad."  
"I won't," Jack told her, rubbing her arm gently. "I won't be mad."  
"He offered me an escape," Starla whispered. "From my fears. He said he would help me."

Jack's mouth fell open. "You were _helping_ Pitch?"  
"No!" Starla held up her hands helplessly. "I was just alone, and then he promised he'd help me. I was going to go with him, but then I backed off because—"

"Aww," Jack said sarcastically. "Why'd ya back off? If you stayed you could have gotten happiness."

"Ah, dammit, Jack!" Starla exclaimed. "You said you wouldn't get mad."  
"I lied." Jack glared at her. "What got into you? How _could you_? You betrayed us!"  
Starla wanted to cry, but she didn't. Instead she balled her fists. "Don't tell me you've never wanted to escape your fears! DON'T TELL ME YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN A SITUATION WITH PITCH BEFORE!"  
Jack took a breath. "As a matter of fact, I—" He stopped. He _had_. And he had almost given in. But he hadn't.  
"I have been in that situation," he said. "But I didn't give in."  
"Neither did I," said Starla crisply.

Jack looked at her for a long time. "Okay."  
"Okay," Said Starla. "I didn't betray you, Jack. I let go of his hand. I couldn't go with him—but Jack, I was _scared_. And I wanted my memories back."

"Your—" Jack stared at her. They were so alike that he couldn't even process it. Just to be accepted, to escape fear.  
"I'll tell you something you might need later," Jack said softly. "You can't escape fear. Not ever. It will always be there. Yes, you can fight it. You can protect yourself against it. But you can't escape it. It's just always there."

"If there's fear everywhere..." said Starla sadly. "Where's the happiness?"  
"Happiness is everywhere too," Jack promised. "It's abundant like fear, but happiness is just a bit harder to find. But it's there."  
"How do you know?"  
Jack breathed in. "You'll know."  
Then he leaned forward, kissed Starla on the cheek, and went back inside.

* * *

**Give me lots of feedback on this chapter! Pleeease? With cherries and whipped cream and hot fudge on top? Wow, I'm hungry for a sundae now. Maybe I'll grab one later...**

**Tell me how this chapter went. I wasn't really about to have Starla betray the Guardians, but Pitch is ANGRY about Starla not trusting him. So he does some scary things in the near future. **

**Please gimme 3+ reviews to update the next chapter! And because, shoot, I love reading them!  
****Thanks!  
****Until the next update.**

**xx, Crystal **


	15. Pitch The Kidnapper

**Hey everybody! So here's the next update!  
Warning: another cliffhanger in this chapter. Hehehehe. *evil smile* I love cliffhangers. ****Anyway, thanks to Melantha Frost, Amberflame805, Guest, ROTGLOVER, and ZambleTheZombie for their really nice reviews!  
I'm hoping I can get to a 100 reviews! THEN ME 'N THE GUARDIANS ARE THROWIN' A PARTY! :D**

**North: Oooh, vith cookies?  
****Me: Yeah! Lots of cookies! And chocolate, and ice cream-**

**Tooth (even though in my story she's in a comatose state due to the absence of her shadow): NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! MUST. DESTROY. ALL. CHOCOLATE!**

**North: *whistles a low note***

**Jack: There goes the party. **

**Me: PLEASE REVIEW GUYS! I love to read any reviews you guys send me, and it makes my day when an email pops into my inbox. So please do that. :) **

* * *

Starla entered North's workshop, wandering around the tables, gazing at yetis who dutifully carried a few spare logs towards roaring fires. Elves tried and distangled each other from long Christmas lights. Starla weaved around a group of elves eating gingerbread cookies and walked toward's North's office. Starla had never even been inside his office, but she had heard from Jack that it was pretty cool.

She knocked.

"Come in!" North bellowed from the inside.

Starla opened the door, and a gasp escaped her. The office was full of ice. The windowpanes were beautifully frosted over, and lovely knickknacks sat on every shelf, and North was right now carving a train out of ice. She saw how his large hands moved so carefully, using the scalpel against the fragile block of ice with exact precision, and how his tongue poked slightly out of the corner of his mouth in concentration.

Starla turned to close the door.  
"Close it slowly," North told her, not raising his head. "My toys are delicate and vill be disturbed by closing door."  
"Okay," Starla said, and closed the door softly.

She turned. North gestured at a shelf. "Fruitcake?"  
"Um." She shook her head. "No. No, thanks."  
"Fine vith me." North was bent over his creation.

Starla went and sat down next to him to watch each precise chip of the ice.

"Vat can I do for you, _malenkaya devotshka_?" North asked her as he chipped off more and more to make a slight chink in the ice.

Starla raised her eyebrows. "What does _that_ mean?"  
"_Malenkaya devotshka_," said North, sweat beading on his forehead as he picked at a particularly tricky section of ice. "it means little girl."

Starla smiled. "Oh."

"So vat can I do for you?" North repeated.

"Nothing," Starla said. "I just wanted someone to talk to."  
North smiled and raised his head. "Ah. Of course you can talk to me. Vere is Jack?"  
Starla shrugged. "Um, around. I think I'll talk to him later." She was aware of her face turning pink.

One of the elves poked her and offered a glass of water. Starla took it. "Thanks."  
"Vhy?" North asked her. "Vhy you vant to talk to him _later_?"  
Starla shrugged. "Why do you want to make this train now?" She challenged.  
"Because this block of ice was brought in a day early." North smiled at her. "_Your turn_."  
Starla blushed. "Well, I—I dunno. I just—I don't feel like it!"

"I thought you two were friends." North pulled off the chink successfully. "Yee-HA!" North exclaimed, using tweezers to move the tiny piece aside.

"We _are_," Starla insisted. "But I just—we can't—" To avoid any unnecessary conversation with North, Starla raised the glass of water to her lips and took a sip.

North grinned as he placed the scalpel to a particular spot on the ice with carefulness. "You kissed, didn't you?"  
Starla choked on the water, spitting it out into the air. Starla grabbed her chest to try and stop before she spilled the contents of her stomach into North's pretty office.

"Vat?" North asked innocently.

"NO!" Starla exclaimed.

North raised his eyebrows deviously. "_No_?"  
Starla faltered. "Okay, yes—but—"

The door of the office swung open and Jack appeared. "Hey, North—" He stopped when he saw Starla.

Starla turned even redder. North raised his eyebrows again. "_Hello_, Jack!" he said cheerily.  
"Jack don't answer him!" Starla jumped up.

Jack looked confused. "Wha—?"  
"DID—YOU—TWO—_KISS_?" North asked, stepping close to Jack. "Do not lie to me, Jack Frost!"  
"Oh my God!" Jack stepped backwards. "_What are you talking about!?_"

"North!" shrieked Starla.

"Did you two do the smoochy-smooch?" North puckered out his lips against the walls and grinned.

"North, it's too late for this." Jack pinched the space between his eyebrows. "It's like 3 in the morning—"

"Never too late for love!" North announced.  
"Stop saying that!" Starla cried. "This is not—"

"—and never will be—" Jack began.

"—_love_!" Starla finished.

North ruffled Starla's hair. "Lovebirds," he grinned. He sat down at his desk. "I haff something for you, Starla. I made it for you after you figured out your center." He grinned and held out a little Starla doll made of china.

He dropped it into Starla's hand. The doll had wide green eyes, blonde hair, and was protecting two scared children behind her, with a confident smile on her face. Her feet were stepping on what looked like a writhing shadow.

"You will be powerful over Pitch's shadows!" North said gleefully. "You can keep it."

Starla smiled. "...thanks." She slipped it into the narrow pocket on her thin dress.

Jack's face was pink as he glared at North.

Grinning, North puckered up his lips and went back to the wall, pretending to kiss.

Sandy floated in through the door, about to say something, and then blanched as he saw North make out with an invisible someone.

Sandy's eyes widened and he looked to Jack and Starla for an answer.

Jack shook his head as if he had no clue.

Starla felt her face grow warm and she ducked her head so Sandy couldn't see her blushing face.

Sandy flew forward and tapped North on the shoulder.

North jerked backwards, emitted a very un-North like squeal, and toppled backwards into his worktable from the shock of realizing that Sandy had seen his make-out session.

"North, watch out!" Jack called.

Starla reached for North's precious ice sculpture, but didn't have time to pull it away before North's enormous Russian body fell down on top of it and smashed it to smithereens.

North sat up and glared at his broken ice. "RIMSKY-KORSAKOV!" he yelled. "THIS STUPID ICE—"

Sandy got into North's face and made rapid golden pictures atop his head.

North gasped. "A kidnapped child?"  
Jack jumped into the air. "What?"  
Starla was up and ready. "Kidnapped? Kidnapped by who?"  
Sandy looked fearfully at Starla. A tall man with his hands behind his back and a shrewd smile appeared out of golden sand above Sandy's head.

Starla grew pale. "_Pitch_."  
Jack glanced at Starla. "Oh, no." He looked at Sandy. "Which kid? Is it someone we know?"  
Sandy nodded sadly.

Starla gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Who?!" bellowed North. "That disgusting, cowardly dares to take a child right from under our noses!"

Sandy took a deep breath and made a picture of a little boy above his head with messy hair, a slightly stooped posture, a sad face, and a woolen hat. Even though the picture was pretty vague, Starla remembered the face of that boy exactly from the last time she had seen him: yesterday morning—_Christmas_ morning—gathered with his friends to discuss the absence of the Tooth Fairy.

Starla turned to Jack, fear and panic spreading rapidly through her mind.

"_Jamie_!"

* * *

Jamie felt the shadows before he even opened his eyes.

He lay as still as he could. Abby was on the floor next to him, and she was barking as loudly as she possibly could, and Jamie knew _he _was there.

Pitch Black.

Fear coursed through Jamie's veins, fear and panic. They were a horrible mixture that you could get paralyzed by. Jamie was unable to move. So trembling there underneath his covers, he opened his mouth but not his eyes and spoke, his voice shooting up at least ten octaves higher than they had been this morning:  
"Go away, Bogeyman. I'm not afraid of you."  
And then he responded, almost like he was _amused_. "Yes, you are. I can feel that you're afraid."  
Jamie's heart pounded so loudly he thought it might burst out of his chest any second. Jamie closed the covers around him. "My dog will get you," he hissed. "The Guardians—" But he stopped. The Guardians were losing their powers. The Bogeyman was winning.

Jamie was losing hope fast.

"The Guardians are absolute ninnies," said the Bogeyman with relish. "And your dog doesn't know where I am. But why don't you look and see, Jamie?"  
Jamie didn't move. Just kept his eyes shut. He liked the calm dark where he couldn't see the scary Bogeyman, but only hear his mellow voice.

Suddenly, Jamie felt fast movement. He opened his eyes and peeked his head a tiny bit out of his covers and saw that he was flying at top speed through the black night sky.

He looked back to his window and saw Abby at the windowsill, barking as hard as she possibly could.

Jamie looked up and saw a thin, gaunt man with amber eyes carrying him, still encased in his blanket, through the air.  
"Where are you taking me?" Jamie yelled above the roaring of the wind.

"Somewhere no one will ever find you, Jamie," replied the Bogeyman.

Was this a nightmare? Jamie thought. "Why are you taking me?" he demanded, crawling back into his blanket. He was already scared enough.

"To lure the Guardians," replied the Bogeyman. "But don't worry, Jamie. I'm not going to hurt you. And you're going to have company soon enough."  
"C-company?" Jamie stuttered nervously. "Who?"  
Jamie heard the Bogeyman laugh an ugly laugh that sent shivers down his spine.

The Bogeyman hefted up his blankets and kept flying.  
"You're going to have a companion, Jamie, named _Starla_."

* * *

**Try and guess what that mysterious ending means. :)  
****  
I'm not excited about Starla's fate. :( **

**Me: Anyway, North, let's tease Jack and Starla about their undying love. **

**Starla: I hate you, Crystal.  
****Me: Love ya too! Jack and Starla sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!**

**North: Vait. Vat comes next?  
****Me: TT_TT *sighs***

**PLEASE REVIEW! AND UNTIL NEXT TIME LOVELY READERS!  
****Bye!  
****-xx, Crystal**


	16. All Of My Memories Keep You Near

**This chapter needs LOTS of feedback, guys! Please! I tried to make this chapter kinda sad, kinda cute, and kinda OHMYGOD. Tell me what you felt while reading this chapter. That's what I need in the reviews: how this chapter made you feel. **

**Thanks to Amberflame805, Fandomrandom, Guest, Melantha Frost, Phantom of the Black Pearl, FullMetalCanine, Lightningfarron6, and Kieran for reviewing! You guys are rock! **

**Jack: Review, follow, and favorite! :D**

**North: Curse you.**

**Jack: Hehehehe. **

**North: Jack kissed Starla!  
****Jack: *blushes furiously* Stop it! **

**Starla: NORTH!**

**Sandy: *smiles***

**Enjoy, guys! **

* * *

"We just need a way to find the central room in Pitch's lair," said Jack slowly. "And then we need to find a way to get the shadows out."  
"Yes...it appears that is the plan," said North even more carefully. "But I just don't understand _how_."  
Baby Tooth was lying there, twitching her ears, and on impulse, sometimes shooting for the door.  
"Relax, Baby Tooth," Starla said, finally. She rubbed the back of her neck. "You know, there's still the matter of _Jamie_. He could get hurt..."  
Starla's mind was honestly full of Sunny, her sister. She couldn't stop thinking about that angel girl that she had once been sisters with.

"—Starla," said Jack. "You listening?"  
Starla opened her eyes. "Huh?"  
North shook his head. "She is not listening."  
Sandy sighed, puffing out his cheeks.

"Sorry." Starla ran a hand through her hair. "I was thinking..."  
"About vay to get in lair?" North asked excitedly. "Because brainstorming is good! It is—"

"No, North," interrupted Starla. "I was just thinking about other things."

Jack was staring at her when she glanced his way.

"I'm sorry." Anger and guilt filled Starla and she got up, smacking her hands down on North's coffee table as she went. Starla threw the front door open and marched out into North's lair, where tiny delicate snowflakes were coming down from the sky.

Starla sat down against the back wall of North's workshop. She was trying to think of a way to get into Pitch's lair, where poor Jamie was probably alone and scared, but she kept replaying Sunny's death in her mind. All this time, Starla had been hiding from that fact, scared, but now this memory—after being brought up by Pitch—was as vivid and clear and real as if Sunny had died yesterday.

Starla leaned back against the solid graystone wall and closed her eyes, letting snowflakes cool her burning skin.

* * *

"_Aw, come on, Starla, you can kick harder than that!" The nine year old girl in front of Starla yelled. _

_Starla grinned at her. "Sure I can, I don't want to hurt you, though!"  
"You _won't_!" insisted Sunny. "I promise, I'll catch the ball!"  
Starla shrugged. "Okay! If you catch it, I'll give you all my dessert tonight!"  
Sunny grinned wider. "You're on!"  
Starla reeled her leg back and kicked their favorite red ball as high as it would possibly go. It soared through the blue sky, and Sunny took off after it, the promise of an extra helping of chocolate ice cream motivating her mind. _

_Starla laughed and watched her little sister, with her sea of golden blonde hair shining, follow the ball into the distance. Sunny vanished past the line of bare, snow-covered trees, following the ball. _

_It was the dead of winter, and freezing, but whatever the weather, the girls played with that red ball. It was their father's: and their only remembrance of him after he had left them. _

_A strange wind was blowing, and there was a sudden darkness in the air. _

_Starla heard horns honking like crazy, and with a sudden fear, Starla took off after the little runaway girl. _

"_SUNNY!" she screamed as she ran. _

_There was no response. _

_Starla ran faster, tasting salt in her mouth, tears leaking out of her eyes, panic making her heart drum like a gong inside her chest, her feet pounding the dirt road, kicking up dust behind her, the moon shining like a pale circle in the now grayish sky. Starla wildly shoved through the treeline to reveal the main road. _

_Before the girls had went out, their mother had warned them not to run to the main road, to only stay in the grass and play with the ball. Tears ran into Starla's mouth as she choked on words she wanted to say. _

_Sunny was so close to the road, but so far away from the trees that Starla knew she wouldn't hear her. _

_Starla sprinted forward, towards the edge of the road. It wasn't snowing, but the air was freezing. Starla was outfitted in a heavy winter jacket and scarf, and boots. _

"_SUNNY!" Starla screamed her throat hoarse, until she was sure it was bleeding. _

_Sunny was closer the road.  
"Please," Starla begged whoever was listening. "Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease—"_

_The little girl ran into the middle of the road and grabbed the red ball. She whirled around and spotted Starla over by the treeline. Her smile spread and she stood up confidently, straightening her jacket. She yelled something Starla couldn't hear. Starla beckoned wildly. _

_Sunny started to walk off the road as tiny snowflakes began to fall from the sky. The first snowfall of the year was coming on now.  
Suddenly, a truck, with its headlights on full blast shot forward through the road. Sunny gasped and threw the red ball as hard as she could. _

_Starla was running breathlessly towards the road to do SOMETHING. _

_Anything. _

_But it was too late. _

_The patch of ice on the side of the road caused the truck to go crazy, and it hit her beautiful little sister, who had so much of a life to live. _

_The red ball bounced into the side of the street. _

"_NO!" howled Starla. "Sunny, Sunny—" She ran into the middle of the road. The truck ran into a metal gate near the side of the road, and the front had gotten completely dented. _

_Starla was afraid to even touch her sisters' crushed, bloody body. _

_Instead, Starla stamped on the red ball until it lost all its air, and then Starla threw it as far away as possible, and curled over her sister's body, crying salty tears into the girls' lifeless corpse. _

_Starla died that night._

_Their mother searched the entire yard, and even ventured into the road, but she could not find them. She called the police, and ordered the land searched, but they couldn't find those two little girls. Sunny had been taken into heaven, and Starla had died and gone elsewhere. _

_Starla knew she was dying. She had grabbed Sunny's body and yanked it into the cover of the trees. Frost settled on the little girl's hair and eyelashes. Starla's tears froze solid, and halfway through the night, Starla saw her own body begin to glow. Her body was disintegrating, and so was Sunny's. _

_Starla, frightened, hugged Sunny's body to her but her body was already gone. Starla sucked in air as she began to tingle all over, feeling warm in the middle of winter, and then was lifted into the sky. Higher and higher and higher and higher until she vanished into a layer of stars.  
When she came out of the grayish layer of cloud and constellations, the heavens exploded. _

_Starla was excited that she could fly after she had died, so she flew all over the place. Through cascades of moonlight, everywhere. The one good thing about being a spirit was that no one could see or hear you, really, so you could do whatever you pleased. _

_Soon, Starla grew tired of that, feeling invisible, and she began to wish that children could see her. She pulled off her heavy winter jacket and her scarf, flying in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, which was rather uncomfortable for her, until she found a white dress hanging on a clothing line one summer. _

_When the woman who owned the house came outside to take her dried laundry back in, she found a t-shirt and a pair of jeans in place of her lovely white dress. _

_From then on, Starla wore that dress everywhere, and her hair in a ponytail away from her face so she could completely feel the wind. _

_She had not a possession nor a care in the world: but she wished somehow to see her sister again. _

* * *

Tears flowed down Starla's face, hot tears against the cool snowflakes that fell from the milky white sky.

Starla pressed her clammy hands to her face and tried to mop up the sweat and tears off her face. Starla let her shoulders shake in a few sobs thinking about Sunny, then she wiped at her wet face and pressed it to her knees, her entire body shaking, just thinking about her memories.

"Starla?" Jack was standing in front of her.  
Starla was going to say "hi," but instead, she kept her face down and mumbled "Go away."  
"Are you okay?" Jack squatted down next to her.  
"Go," Starla whispered.  
"Go?"  
"_GO_!" Starla pulled her face away from her knees. "GO AWAY, JACK FROST!" Suddenly, seeing the hurt look on Jack's face made the tears come back. Starla hated the tears. She hated them so much. She angrily wiped at her face and looked away from him.

Jack moved closer, like she was a dangerous animal. Starla slapped at him. Jack caught her wrists tightly in his hands and pulled them down so they couldn't harm him.

"Easy, Starla," he breathed. His breath smelled like mint.

Starla stared at him with giant green watery eyes.

Jack stared at the eyes, at the sadness written all over the girl's face. Starla didn't speak for a long time, then she opened her mouth.

"My sister died. I miss her."  
Starla blinked, and a tear oozed out of her eye and settled on her lower lashes. Jack wanted so desperately to reach out and wipe it away. He wanted to tilt her face up gently and tell her it would all be alright. He wanted their lips to share a kiss again. He wanted her to wrap her thin arms around him and ask him not to go.

Jack reached out slowly and wiped the tear away as carefully as he could. Starla sniffled when he did, and her eyes widened slightly, like she wasn't sure if he was capable of such kindness.

The tear froze into a diamond shape on his finger, and Jack deposited the little frozen diamond into her hand. He gave her a tiny smile.

Starla stared at him for a long time, not moving.

"I'm sorry about your sister," Jack said, still gripping her wrists so she couldn't hit him. "I'm sorry, Starla."  
Starla wrenched her hands out of Jack's grasp and hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Jack," she whispered finally.

"For what?"  
"For everything."

Jack smiled over Starla's shoulder.

Starla pulled away from the hug and looked at the boy. "What's your greatest fear?" she asked him.

Jack took a deep breath. "It's—"

"If you're scared, you don't have to tell me, Jack."  
"—it's being alone."  
Starla sucked in air. "Being alone?"  
Jack nodded and looked away. "It's stupid, I know—"  
"_No _fears are stupid," Starla said finally. "They all matter."  
"That's right," came a cold voice from nearby.

Jack and Starla both simultaneously jumped up and whirled around. There, positioned right behind them, was Pitch Black with his lead Nightmare.

Pitch smiled calmly at them. "Frost, kindly get out of the way. I'm not here for you." Pitch glared at Starla. "I'm here for _her_."  
Starla crossed her arms over her chest, all trace of sorrow gone, only spark written on her features. "Yeah? Come and get me, then, Pitch."  
Pitch smacked his Nightmare on the rump. "Go get her."  
Starla shot skyward, into the stars, where energy was positively pulsating for her. The Nightmare circled her, butting its snout into her leg.  
Its teeth grabbed her shadow and began to pull. Gritting her teeth, Starla shot light straight into the Nightmare and it vanished. Starla shook out her body and shot down like a torpedo for Pitch, who was battling Jack.

Starla made a wall of light from behind him, while Jack tensed with his ice staff from in front. Within moments, Sandy and North had also appeared, North with his two giant swords, and Sandy wielding his Dreamsand whips.

Pitch had a look of horror written on his face. He narrowed his eyes. "I suppose none of you care about Jamie, then?" he asked them sarcastically. "Here. You know what? Starla doesn't come with me, Jamie dies. How's that for a deal?" He grinned menacingly at them.

Starla faltered from behind.

North glowered. "Pitch, you—"

"Wait!" Starla breathed. "North, I—"

"She's not going anywhere!" Jack shot ice at Pitch.

Sandy and North looked helpless, but Jack was clearly going straight about this.

"Why me?" Starla asked Pitch softly.

"Because _you_," snarled Pitch. "can be useful. I'll tell you when we get there. Are you coming, Starla? Or will you endanger the life of _another _child?"  
Starla gasped. She knew he meant she had endangered the life of her sister.  
"You can't!" Jack hissed. "You can't go, Starla!"  
"I'm going," Starla said finally. "I won't let him hurt another child."  
"Ve can do something about this!" North insisted. "Starla, do not—

"I made up my mind." Starla nodded. "I want to keep Jamie safe. I'm going with Pitch."  
"I won't hurt her," Pitch assured the Guardians. "She'll be safe, I assure you. Come on, Light Girl."  
In that instant, Pitch waved his hands, and in a sea of blackness, Pitch and the Spirit of Light were both gone.

* * *

**I thought it was brave what Starla did. What did you guys think? Let me know! I love reading reviews!**

**Till the next update!**

**Bye**

**-xx, Crystal **


	17. Wiggly Tooth

**Hey guys! So here's another chapter, dedicated to my amazing readers and reviewers. It's really not anything special, sadly. **

**North: Nothing special at all. **

**Me: Kindly shut your big fat face.**

**North: TT_TT**

**Thanks to Amberflame805, Melantha Frost, and Lightningfarron6 for reviewing.**

**Phantom of the Black Pearl: **** You know what? I really loved your idea of Abby biting Pitch, or maybe chasing him. I'll try to incorporate that somewhere if I can! :D**

**Okay, everybody, enjoy the chapter. **

**-xx, Crystal **

* * *

"That vas...brave," said North finally in the chilling winter silence.

Jack didn't move. He clutched his ice staff so hard his knuckles went white. Sandy mimed shrugging and stared sorrowfully at he ground.

"Vell," North continued. "Ve cannot just stand here. Ve must try and figure out a way to get Starla back."  
_And the shadows of Tooth and Bunny, _added Sandy sadly.

North nodded, shifting on his foot. "Jack?"  
Jack looked cluelessly up at the two of them. "How come, North?" he asked faintly. "How come she went with Pitch like that?"  
"She's brave," North answered. "Perhaps, yes, it vas little foolish vat she did, but she was it vas all in good interest. And she vill probably keep Jamie safe in Pitch's lair. That counts as vell."  
Jack turned slowly. "If he hurts her, I swear to God—"

North couldn't do anything but place a hand on Jack's shoulder and sigh. He could understand exactly the type of pain and anxiety the poor boy was going through.

* * *

"_Starla_?" Jamie pressed his face against the bars of his black sand cage.

Starla walked haughtily through the entrance. Pitch had blindfolded her as she was carried on a black sand cloud through the maze so she couldn't see where they were going and get word to the Guardians how to make it to the central room.

She still couldn't see where Jamie was, but she swiveled her head to try and hear his voice again.

Pitch snapped, and the blindfold vanished. Starla blinked, adjusting to the gray light in Pitch's main chamber, and she saw the Nightmares mulling around, pawing the ground, and she saw Pitch's globe, with shadows and light speckled all over it.

Last of all, she stared at the giant glass dome, hanging from the highest point in Pitch's ceiling, full of shadows writhing like fish out of water.

Starla gaped at it. Jamie's shadow was in there somewhere. So were Bunny's and Tooth's. They just needed a way to get it out.

Pitch was waving his arms, creating another black sand cage, but slightly bigger.

Without a word, he smiled at her, and gestured for a Nightmare to bring her to the cage.

Starla whirled around, teeth gritted, and smashed the Nightmare into nothingness with her light.

"I can _walk myself_, thank you," she retorted to Pitch. She paused near the cage. "This is made of black sand."  
"Yes."  
"I can blast it into smithereens with my light." Starla stared at Pitch. "Why the hell would you just trust me to stay in this thing?"  
"For Jamie." Pitch grinned widely at her. "See, if you 'disassemble' my black sand cage, I will make sure he has nothing to live for. Not now, not ever. I will destroy every one of his hopes and dreams, wipe his memories, do everything in my power to—"  
"_Fine_!" Starla snarled. "Fine, I get it!"  
She crawled into the cage and sat there, arms crossed over her chest as Pitch sent the cage flying up to float near Jamie's.

"You okay, Jamie?" Starla asked quietly.

Jamie nodded with scared wide eyes. He was shaking all over, and Starla knew he was afraid.

"S-s-starl—" he began, but couldn't finish because Starla saw the fear and tears in his eyes. He ducked his head quickly.

"Oh, Jamie." Starla reached through the bars to squeeze the child's hand. Jamie shook his head sadly. "This is all my fault."  
"_How_?" Starla asked. "Jamie, this isn't your fault. It's Pitch's. He's being a big annoying stupidhead about everything and that's how this all came to be."  
"No, I got you into this too," Jamie said sadly, wiping his face. "You would be safe with the other Guardians if I hadn't—"

"No, Jamie," said Starla with a smile. "The Guardians are gonna come rescue us. I'm sure."  
Jamie looked up. "You think so?"  
"Sure." Starla smiled reassuringly at the little boy, who had become a little happier.

"Are you and Jack boyfriend and girlfriend?" Jamie asked, tilting his head.

"What are you talking about?" Starla exclaimed.

Jamie shrugged.

Starla shrugged too. "I'm not sure, Jamie. Somewhere around there, I guess." She grinned at Jamie. "Jack says you like Pippa."  
Jamie turned bright pink. "No, I _don't_! He's _lying_!"  
Starla giggled and sat back in her cage.

There was a pause, and then Starla looked back at Jamie. "You aren't dull and sad like you were last time we talked."  
Jamie shrugged. "When I see you, I feel a little happier. Like some of the sadness is gone."  
Starla beamed. She realized that she _was_ protecting Jamie from the shadows. Right this very minute, by engaging him in conversation.

She started another topic. "So what's going on with you now?"

Jamie shrugged. "I have a loose tooth. But what's the point with the Tooth Fairy gone."  
"You have a loose tooth?" Starla leaned forward.  
"Yeah." Jamie opened his mouth reached a few teeth back from his front teeth and wiggled a small tooth. "It's about ready to come out. It's practically hanging right off my gums."  
Starla shuddered. That sounded weird. "Eeew," she said finally. "Really?"  
Jamie grinned slyly. "If it does, I'll be _bleeding everywhere_ and—"

"Shhhh!" Starla shook her head at Jamie. "Hold it right there! Stop talking about loose teeth!"

Suddenly, Starla remember about Baby Tooth and her impulses to get the teeth. Starla thought about this a few more times.

Was it...was it possible for Baby Tooth to track down Jamie's tooth all the way to the central lair, leading the Guardians here to their rescue?  
It was worth a shot.

"Jamie," said Starla seriously. "I need you to pull out that wiggly tooth."  
"Why?" Jamie asked, shocked. "Wait, _now_?"  
"Yes, now!" Starla exclaimed. "Quickly, come on! I need you to do that for me. Wiggle it, back and forth, come on! Yeah, that's it!"  
Jamie wiggled as hard as he could. "Ow," he said.

"Keep trying, Jamie," Starla begged.

"Why am I doing this again?" Jamie asked, wiggling the tooth.

"Because it could be our key to escaping!" Starla said breathlessly.  
Jamie wiggled harder until at last, it dropped with a thud to the floor of the black sand cage.

"Pick it up!" Starla urged, hold it in your hamd.

"My 'outh 's 'leeding."  
Starla winced. "I know, Jamie. Just—keep your finger there or something. Sorry I don't have a tissue for you."  
"Ow it 'urts when I do 'at."  
Starla sighed. "Just keep at it, okay, sweetie? You're doing great. Just wait a few minutes."  
" 'or '_hat_?"  
What did he say? Starla struggled for a moment to understand what Jamie said, then got it. "_For what." Ohhh. _

"For rescue," Starla responded.  
Jamie looked quizzical, but sat silently, holding his tooth and trying to stop the bloody flow from the space in his mouth.

From the determined look on Starla's face, he decided not to question.

* * *

Baby Tooth had been getting strong impulses for a while now, but this one was the strongest yet. It was coming from somewhere nearby.

_Tooth, Tooth_! She ranted to Jack.

Jack sighed. "Baby Tooth, give it a rest."  
_It's so nearby! And..._Baby Tooth frowned. _I can't get an official address on it_.

Jack sighed again.

Suddenly, Sandy made a lightbulb above his head and a few more pictures. _No official address? Nearby? Could this be Pitch's lair?  
_"Of course not!" North gasped. "Pitch? Losing teeth?"  
"Maybe not Pitch," Jack said slowly, beginning to understand. "Jamie."  
North's eyes widened.

"The sleigh!" Jack barked. "Get the sleigh! Sandy, go with him!"  
Within instants, the sleigh was ready and North, Jack, and Sandy were off in the sleigh, following the tiny green fairy to wherever she was going to lead them.

* * *

**Oooh yay! Starla had an idea that might possibly lead to rescue. So all awesomeness there. **

**So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well, please just make me happy and leave a review! On anything, I don't care. But please leave a review!**

**Jamie: I lost a tooth!  
****Me: ...yup.**

**Jamie: And it has blood and-**

**Starla and Me: *walks away* **

**:)**

**Till next time, guys!**

**xx, Crystal **


	18. Battle on the Wrong Turf

**Heyyy guys! A new chapter of Lights is now up! **

**Jack: Obviously. You don't need to SAY SO they're reading the new chapter of Lights right NOW!**

**Me: And you're stupid. *yes, best comeback ever.* **

**Jack: ...ouch. **

**Thanks to Melantha Frost, Guest, ROTGLOVER, Amberflame805, Melantha Frost, and ZambleTheZombie for their inspiring reviews.****  
PS: Want to request something for the story? Anything? Do it! Scroll down, review it, and then click POST REVIEW! Or just PM me. Whatever. **

**Jack: *throws snowball in my face*  
****Me: Okay. NOW IT'S ON, FROSTY!**

**Enjoy the chapter!  
****xx, Crystal **

* * *

Baby Tooth was hopelessly lost.

She was circling the area where the signal was coming from, her pixieish ears twitching around and around, trying to get a signal that was lost.

"Baby Tooth?" Jack asked, leaning forward.

"The reindeer are not happy, Jack," said North sternly, his eyebrows drawing together. "Look at them! They long to fly and all they are doing is walking in circles through the air while the fairy looks for a tooth that _has not fallen out of a mouth_!"  
"Stop, North," said Jack urgently. "She's listening."  
"To silence?" North whispered under his breath.

Sandy placed his finger over his lips.

Jack took a deep breath. "Baby Tooth—"

Suddenly, she whipped off in another direction.

Next thing they knew, North was gasping.

"Pitch's lair!"

Jack backed up, but tripped over something like a furry carpet. He looked down and spotted Bunny's body, wrapped in a blanket, lying at the bottom of the sleigh. He looked next to the body and also noticed Tooth's. "What the heck?" he demanded to North.

North pointed. "If you _do _succeed in getting out the shadows, they vill come straight here. To the sleigh. No?"  
Jack understood. "Right."

Baby Tooth streamed into the entrance, squeaking like insane, her ears twitching.

"I'll go after her," said Jack. "You guys _block this entrance_. Wait out here."

"Vait, Jack! How vill ve know how to come in?" North demanded. "Or you the vay out?"  
Sandy raised a finger. He quickly unleashed a rope of goldensand. Jack grabbed it.  
_Keep it with you_. Sandy smiled. _Follow it back out_.

Jack nodded and followed Baby Tooth in.

She flew into a wall three times before Jack made her stop and listen carefully again without _moving_.

Finally, Baby Tooth picked up a new signal and flew down the maze, with Jack hot on her heels. Finally, Baby Tooth thrust herself into a new entrance, and then she paused.

Jack sucked in a breath. Pitch's inner lair.

He remembered this central room when it enslaved hundreds of baby Tooth Fairies in cages of black sand. He remembered the large piles of brass memories stacked to the ceiling, Pitch's shadows dancing on the graystone walls.

Jack shuddered as he entered cautiously, shifting his ice staff in his hand.

"Jack!"  
He recognized the female voice quickly. He spun in the air and raised his head to see Starla in a cage of black sand. His heart pounding, Jack shot skyward towards her and reached for the bars.  
"No!" Starla reached through and smacked his hand away. "Don't you touch this stuff, Jack!"  
Jack reeled back.

He shook his head quickly. "I don't get it, Starla—you can melt this stuff; why would you—"

Starla leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Because Pitch said that he'd hurt Jamie if I tried to leave."  
Jack admired her bravery. He took a deep breath. "Let's get you guys out of here, okay?"  
Baby Tooth was already picking up Jamie's tooth.

Jamie grinned at Jack, but there was a weakness to his grin. Jack smiled back at Jamie. "You okay, buddy?"  
Jamie nodded. "Jack, I lost a tooth!"  
Jack laughed. "Yeah, I noticed, bud."  
He glanced at Starla. "Get rid of these damn cages."  
Jack didn't mean to use the foul language in front of Jamie, but he wanted to get Starla and Jamie out of there as fast as possible.

"Okay, okay." Starla took a deep breath. "Jamie first. Catch him, alright?"  
Jack nodded. "Ready, Jamie?"  
Jamie nodded slowly.

Starla stretched her hands through her bars and shot two beams of light at Jamie's cage. The cage vanished, and all of a sudden Jamie fell through the bottom into Jack's arms. Jack lowered him to the ground carefully.  
Starla melted her own cage and floated in midair, stretching out her tired limbs. "Ouch."  
Jack flew up and held her face in his hands before he could stop himself.

"Oof!" Starla said as Jack flew into her fast and grabbed her face.  
Jack shook his head. "Sorry, sorry. I just—are you okay? I was—"

"What?" Starla didn't feel scrutinized under his gaze, merely _happy_ for some strange reason. She glowed with emotion as she placed both of her hands on Jack's face. "You were what?"

Jack shrugged. "I—I was worried."

Starla smiled and ducked her head. "Really?"  
"Mmmhm."

Starla took a deep breath, not really knowing how to react. The emotions were almost unbearable. Starla pushed a wisp of hair out of her face. "Oh. Well. Um." She turned pink from her sudden lack of words.

Jack didn't say another word, just flew down to Jamie. "Let's get you out of here, okay, Jamie?" he said quietly. He started to fly for the entrance, but Starla shook her head rapidly.  
"Don't leave!"

Jack took a deep breath. "Okay, Jamie. Here's what I'll do. See this long line of light here?"  
Jamie nodded.

Jack nodded too. "Okay. You go ahead and follow this back to the entrance. North and the Sandman are out there. They'll help you, okay?"  
Jamie nodded and ran off down the entrance.

"Well, well, well!" came a voice. "What's this, a tea party?"  
Baby Tooth let out a squeak of disgust, clutching the tooth. Suddenly, she almost dropped out of the air from the fatigue in her little wings.

"Go on outside," Jack whispered. "Follow the light."  
Baby Tooth zipped off, and Jack and Starla tensed, Jack readying his ice staff, Starla waiting cautiously for the moment to release a wave of light from her trembling hands.

Pitch scowled in disgust. "So you're here to play superhero and get the shadows."  
Jack glared at Pitch, but didn't say a word.

"You don't know what you're doing, Pitch," warned Starla.

"This is my territory!" Pitch yelled, quavering with rage. "_You _are fighting the Nightmare King in _his_ land!" He laughed, and waved his arms. Nightmares came out from all angles.

Starla gasped and stumbled back a few inches.

Pitch smiled cruelly. "Is she backing out of the fight? So it's just you and me, Frost?"  
"N-no!" Starla stepped back up. "I'll be with him the whole way through."  
Jack shot forward and blasted a bunch of Nightmares by swiveling his staff. Nightmares shot for Starla, their muzzles headed straight for the shadows. Pitch danced along ceilings, walls, and the floor, his cruel cold laughter booming in Starla's ears. Her blood rushing, adrenaline coursing through her veins, Starla flew around the entire lair, glad Jamie wasn't here to witness this Nightmare massacre.

She shot a million Nightmares, only to have a million come charging at her.

She decided it was unwise to fight Pitch Black in his own lair. She and Jack were losing, it was as plain as that.

Jack had resorted to not only using his ice staff, but shooting hard ice balls at the Nightmares, and disintegrating them.

Starla laughed when she saw Jack's everyday playfulness even kick into a battle.

Jack grinned at her.

Suddenly, Starla had an idea.

"Throw the iceball!" she yelled at Jack, pointing at the glass dome of wriggling, writhing shadows!  
"NO!" she heard a voice. Pitch was right behind her.

Starla whirled and shot light at him, not about to miss a chance. Pitch kept taunting her and Jack by sweeping by their shadows, sending more Nightmares on them.

"Jack, this isn't working!" Starla wheezed, almost completely out of breath as she fell to the floor, pinned down by a Nightmare.  
Starla melted the Nightmare and tried to fly, but Nightmares were bearing down on her.

"JACK!" she screamed. "Throw the iceball! Like, right now!"  
Pitch shot towards Jack, his grayish spindly fingers extended to catch him. Jack leaped out of the way, aimed the ice ball and threw it as hard as he could.  
It's going too slow, Starla thought with dismay as the ice ball flew at a normal speed across the room. It needs to go...she blinked. _At the speed of light_.

With her last burst of energy, Starla pushed as much light as she could into that one flying ice ball, and that light channelled the ice ball forward so fast it was like a bullet, and it smashed into the glass.

Everything was silent, holding its breath inside Pitch's lair.

Pitch looked horrified, amber eyes wide.  
Nothing happened.

Then there was the sound of breaking glass, and then all hell broke loose in the Lair.

* * *

**Oooh. All hell. Breaking loose. Wow. **

**Gimme reviews, peeps! And then I'll update the next chapter...at the speed of light. What up, story reference! Anyway. *clears throat awkwardly* ****Thanks to everyone who's been reading my story, following, favoriting, or reviewing. It means a lot to me, guys! **

**Until next time! Byeeee!**

**xx, Crystal **


	19. Under The Mistletoe Tonight

**CRYSTAL IS BACK! **

**And this time, to make up for my other tiny chapters, I have provided you with a big chapter full of elegant surprises and *sighs dramatically* StarJack. **

**Oh yeah. StarJack is the official shipping name suggested by one of my friends. So now, Jack and Starla together will be called StarJack! And I'm really beginning to like their romantic moments. Anyway. **

**Okay. Next bit of news. I HAVE 101 REVIEWS! AAAAAAH! HOW THE HECK DID I GET HERE? Thanks to Lightningfarron6, who was my 100th reviewer. You made me SUPERSUPERSUPERSUPERSUPERSUPER happy. Thanks so much! :D **

**So thanks to Melantha Frost, Fandomrandom, Lightningfarron6 and ZambleTheZombie for their encouraging reviews. **

**Enjoy this extra-long chapter! :)**

**xx, Crystal **

* * *

Shadows were _everywhere_.

They streamed through the lair, like dark ballerinas, twirling and flipping against the graystone walls, like black water, moving fluidly, blindly, pressing against the walls, making noises that could pass as the eeriest lullaby until they found the exit and dove out together, like a flock of blackbirds.

"You—" Pitch was out of words to say to the two Guardians standing before him. He couldn't speak. Within instants, the other two Guardians would be back to normal and he'd be completely outnumbered, even though it was on his turf.

"Face it, Pitch," said Jack, narrowing his ice blue eyes. "It's over."  
"No," Pitch said with a snarl. "It is _not_ over." He smiled coldly. "You may have taken away the shadows, but fear and darkness is still there. Slowly, it's spreading across the Globe." He pointed at the giant Globe in the center of his lair.

None of the lights were returning.

Jack whirled around to face Starla. "What's happening? We released the shadows! Why aren't the kids—"

Pitch smiled and gestured at himself. "Because the innocence has been absorbed into my robe, and _utterly destroyed_." Pitch smiled.  
Jack leaned back. "The innocence is _inside you_?"  
Pitch nodded. "Precisely. It's not affecting me, because it's being destroyed slowly, like a slab of trash in a garbage dump. The kids won't get back the innocence with the release of the shadows. They'll get it back at the death of Pitch Black." He laughed. "You thought it was that easy? Well, maybe the kids will get back some belief, and maybe some joy. But not for long. You may have weakened me and my Nighmares." Pitch began to back away into the shadows of his hideout. "But you have not stopped us, Jack Frost."  
He turned to lock gazes with Starla. "You _cannot_ defeat darkness. My darkness will triumph over your light until you have nothing left." He vanished until the last three words he said hung in the air like fading rays of hope:  
"_Don't play games_."

* * *

"VE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS!" North hopped up and down, cheering at the top his lungs.

When Jack and Starla followed the light trail back outside into daylight, snowflakes were drifting down from a milky white sky.

Tooth's feathery head popped up from inside the sleigh. Her purple eyes looked tired, but she looked overjoyed to see both Jack and Starla.

She flew forward, enveloping them both in a tight hug. "Guys!"  
Starla hugged Tooth tightly, so glad that she was back to normal.

Jack smirked, trying to hide the slight twangs of fear pulsating inside his gut. "And where is my dear friend the Easter Kangaroo?"  
"I'm a bunny, mate." The Easter Bunny stood up from behind the sleigh. "You really didn't think I'd _go_ anywhere, didja, mate?"  
Jack grinned. "Nah."  
Starla nudged Jack. "Tell North. About what Pitch said."  
Jack looked at Starla for a long time, then headed over to North.

North was showing Jamie how to feed Prancer the Reindeer a carrot. "But he's very vain," North was saying. "So do not praise him. He vill eat it up and then not drive sleigh properly."  
"North?" Jack touched North's arm.

North turned jovially. "Jack! CONGRATULATIONS!" He picked Jack up and bounced him in a massive North hug.

"Yeah, thanks." Jack looked down modestly. "I came to tell you something."  
"Vat is it?" North looked slightly concerned.  
"The shadows have been released," Jack reported dutifully. "But the innocence is still inside Pitch. He's keeping it."  
"VAT?!" North boomed. "Impossible!"  
"No," Jack said, irritated. "Not impossible. He still has it. The kids get back some belief and some joy and all, but the _innocence_ they won't get back until Pitch is completely destroyed."  
North blinked in disbelief. "But that is not..._possible_."  
"What's not?"  
"Pitch cannot be killed."  
Jack stared at North. "He—"

North shook his head. "Cannot be killed. No."  
"Yes." Jack said finally. "I believe Starla can do it."  
"_Starla_?"  
"Light against darkness. If there's enough of her light, Pitch can be destroyed. At least—at least temporarily. And when he's destroyed, the innocence will come out and the kids will be brought back to 100% kid again."  
North chuckled at Jack's description. "Vell. I don't know, Jack. Ve vill see. But all I know is that we need her to be with us throughout this entire next battle, and I need to see about training her, and I need all the Guardians to pitch in."  
Jack nodded. "Yeah. We need to put everything into it—she may be our last chance."  
North nodded slowly, then he clapped his hands. "Jamie! Let me and Bunny take you home." He gestured at Tooth, Starla, Jack, and Sandy. "You guys fly back to Santoff Claussen."  
Jack grinned and lined up next to Starla. "Race you guys back!"  
Tooth giggled. "Yes!"  
Sandy gave them a thumbs up and a sly smile.

Starla shrugged. "Get ready to _lose_!"  
As the sleigh took off, North yelled, "ON YOUR MARK! GET SET—"

"HO, HO, HO!" interrupted Bunny with a laugh. "Get it? Because it rhymes with 'go, go, go?'" He laughed ridiculously at his own joke.

North was not amused. "GO!" North yelled at the top of his lungs.

The four Guardians took off.

Jack gave it his all, hurling snowballs as he raced.

"Ya bloody cheater, you!" cried Bunny as Jack passed the sleigh, grinning, armed with iced snowballs.

Tooth used her hummingbird like wings to propel her forward.

Sandy grabbed Starla around the waist with his golden Sandlines and yanked her backwards.

Starla burst out laughing. "No fair!" She flew in front of Sandy, flashing brightly to temporarily stun him, and then shot ahead, taking the lead.

The Guardians relaxed for a while and finally just let themselves be the fun spirits they were supposed to be.

* * *

"So, mates," Bunny held up several mugs of hot chocolate, and North followed with a giant container of what looked like marshmallows. "I say we celebrate with a big cup o' chocolate!" Bunny grinned at all of them. "Happy Easta."  
"It's not even Easter!" Jack rolled his eyes. "It's a few days past Christmas."  
Bunny leaned forward. "Easta is more important than Christmas. And ya know it, mate."  
"Vait, vait. Now hold it!" North began importantly, putting down the marshmallows as Bunny put down the mugs.

Starla grabbed herself a mug and looked inside. It was empty.

"North." Starla gestured at the empty mug.

North waved his hand. "The elves vill bring the hot chocolate soon."  
"Well, they're taking too long!" Jack lifted off and flew out of the room towards the kitchen. Starla followed behind him, eager to see how hot chocolate was made.

The elves were pelting themselves with cocoa, readymade hot chocolate sitting in a pot boiling on the stove.

Jack shooed the elves out of the kitchen, pulled the pot off the stove and turned around to see Starla lingering in the doorway.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey." Starla breathed in.

Jack took a step closer. "Um, can I talk to you? Like, in private?"

"Yeah su—" Starla started to say.

"NEW YEAR'S EVE!" yelled North from the other room. He charged into he kitchen, carrying the empty ceramic mugs. He dumped them on the table in front of Jack and then jumped up and down with an energy any normal old man could not produce. "It is New Year's Eve! HAH! And ve are nearing midnight!"  
Starla grinned. "Wow, I didn't even notice."  
"We were so busy," Jack said musingly. "trying to save the world that we didn't even notice it was New Year's Eve. Well. We better celebrate, huh?"  
Jack poured the hot chocolate into six mugs and Starla and North helped him carry it back into the room and pass them out.

"You know," North said when they were all seated on his red and green couches, sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the chocolatey surface, "I never presented you with your presents. IDEA! I vill go get them now."

North barked out a laugh, put the empty mug down on the table, and started leaving the room. North turned to Starla in the doorway. "Starla. Could you please get me another cup of hot chocolate? There's more in the pot in the kitchen."  
"Yeah," Starla agreed, and stood, picking up North's mug.

In the kitchen, Starla poured North another mugful and then opened a can of cocoa powder to taste some. She took a pinch and dropped it into her mouth.

_Mmmmm_. It was _sooo_ delicious. It was like chocolate sugar dissolving on her tongue. Starla giggled and helped herself to some more.

"Are you _eating_ the cocoa powder?" Jack walked in, laughing.

Starla grinned. "Taste some." She picked up a pinch of cocoa powder, and Jack walked forward, opening his mouth. Starla dropped it into his mouth, and Jack licked his lips. "Mmm."  
Starla laughed. "I know, right?" She reached in for more, but Jack grabbed a pinchful and blew it into her face.

Choking, Starla stepped back. "Jack!" she exclaimed in shock.

He was too busy laughing, doubled over. Starla pinched cocoa powder and threw a handful into Jack's hair. He rubbed it onto her face. Starla tossed some at his shirt, and then smeared some onto his face as well.

Laughing Jack grabbed Starla's wrist so she couldn't throw anymore on him. The two teenagers were coated with brown powder, and Starla leaned forward, grabbing Jack's hoodie collar. His head moved forward, their foreheads touching, and their lips nearly met.

Surprised, Jack widened his eyes, and Starla pulled away, surprised at how eager she was to kiss him.  
"God, sorry!" she rushed to the kitchen sink and splashed water on her face and hands, trying to take cocoa powder off her hair and clothes and skin.

Jack stood there, dumfounded at what had just happened. They had been enjoying it, and then Starla had broken away. He looked at her, a bit of sadness written in his eyes.

Starla grabbed the cup of hot cocoa and began backing towards the doorway of the kitchen, staring at Jack's pale face.  
"Starla—" he began.

"I'm sorry, Jack!" Starla interrupted. "It was my fault and I—_whoo_!" Starla crashed into someone directly behind her and spilled the hot chocolate over whoever it was.  
"SHOSTAKOVICH!" cried the person in a familiar Russian accent. "STARLA!"  
"Sorry!" Starla moaned, grabbing towels and tossing them at North. As he dried off his jolly red coat, Jack helped Starla mop up the mess on the floor.

Starla sighed. "I'll get you more hot chocolate, North."

"Forget it." North sighed as well. "I haff presents. If you want to see."  
Bunny got a big robotic egg that did whatever he wanted when he used the remote. Bunny laughed as he used it. "I'm naming him...Bernard."  
"Ber_nard_?" Jack scoffed.  
"Don't mock the name, _Snowmiser_," snarled Bunny.

Jack held up his hands in surrender, and Starla smiled.

Tooth got a giant tooth-shaped pillow. She hugged it tightly to her chest. "Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod I _love it_, North!" She hugged North, then lay back giggling, still cradling the pillow.

Sandy got a pair of golden oversize sunglasses that had light up frames. Sandy put them on and clucked his tongue, smiling oversize and doing an Elvis Presley moonwalk in midair.

Starla got a beautiful glass star. "It sits on your vindowsill," North told her. "It's the North Star."

"I get it," Starla smiled at him. "The _North _Star."  
North grinned sheepishly. "It shows that you can alvays find your vay back home."  
Somehow, this was very comforting to Starla as she held the glass star. "And what's this opening for?"  
"You put a small spark of light inside," North grinned at her. "Let it glow through the night to show you what your powers are."  
"Thanks," Starla breathed. "I love it, it's amazing."  
"And where's _my_ belated Christmas present?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows with exactly the right amount of charming.  
"Ya don't get one, ya dingo," said Bunny with a smirk. "You're on the _Naughty List_."  
North grinned at him. "Ve overlook one time, Jack. Because of all you haff done for the children. So I got you present also."  
Jack looked down at the giant package before him, and ripped up the gingerbread wrapping paper to see a giant yellow thing. He looked up at North cautiously. "What's this?"  
North shrugged. "Vat can I give the boy that can fly? That has no need for anything but his ice staff? I did not know vat you vanted, Jack."  
"I'm happy," Jack said finally. "With what I have."  
"So I got you this. A sled. You can sled like the regular kids down the hill." North shrugged. "A change from flying. Perhaps we can all try it out tomorrow morning?"  
Starla laughed. "I've seen these things! They look like a lot of fun."  
"So yes to the trial tomorrow?" North was excited.

Jack grinned. "I love it. Yes. Defenite yes."

"Hey! One minute to midnight!" yelled Tooth, pointing at North's clock.

Starla got up to put her mug in the sink, and Jack followed with his own mug.

"Starla," he said finally, in the kitchen.

"Huh?" She turned, accepting his mug. "Hey."  
"Stop. Stop talking. Just stop." Jack stepped forward.

Starla stepped back, against the countertop, alarmed. "Jack, we can't—"

"No!" Jack pressed his hand over Starla's mouth. "Can you let me talk to you? _Please_."  
Starla's eyes were dinnerplates, but she slowly nodded, and Jack removed his hand.

"I know you're scared," Jack said softly. "I _know_, okay? And I care about you. But Starla...I feel so different about you. And...I don't think I'm supposed to feel this way. It's halfway between something like adventure and longing, and I don't know what it's called but I'm feeling it for you."  
"Love?" Starla whispered.

"What?"  
"Love. Is that what you're feeling?"  
Jack sighed. "Maybe. I'm making a complete fool of myself."

"No. You aren't." Starla took Jack's hand and they started to leave the kitchen. Jack paused under the doorway.

"Kiss me."  
Starla whirled around. "_Not here_, Jack—we can't!"  
"Yeah. We can. Who's gonna stop us?" Jack whirled around in a full circle.

"HOLD UP, YOU TWO!" North was barreling towards the kitchen.

"Oh boy." Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Oy!" Bunny was smiling. He held up a sprig of mistletoe over their heads. "Wait for it."  
Starla blushed.

The clock in North's living room struck twelve, and it began to bong.

"KISS!" North gestured wildly.

"Can you guys go?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "Give us a minute?"  
Bunny strung up the mistletoe and backed away. "Take all the time ya need, mate."

North however, remained, smiling.  
"Go, North!" Jack waved his arms.

"Please," Starla clarified.

North sighed. "Alright. Fiiiiine." He took his sweet time going until Tooth came and pulled him away by the arm. She looked a bit desirably at Jack, but then left the doorway.

Jack leaned forward to look at Starla and he smiled. "So...is it okay?"  
"What?"  
"That I love you."  
Starla nodded, and laughed. "_Yes_!"  
"You're not afraid of those emotions?"  
"Not now, at least."  
Jack placed both arms on either side of her, dropping his ice staff, and leaned forward as the clock kept chiming.

"Soo," said Starla, cocking her head. "On three?" She raised her eyebrows.

Jack grinned. "How about right now?"  
She smiled. "Okay."  
And their lips met in a kiss underneath the mistletoe on that beautiful day as the new year began, full of fresh anticipated joy.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" yelled North, and ran forward to witness the last moments of Jack and Starla's kiss.

They broke for air, Starla laughing, Jack just smiling, and Starla buried her blushing face into Jack's shoulder, and Jack placed his chin on the top of her head.

He never wanted to let go.

"Starla," he whispered, and when she raised her head, he kissed her again, to North's great delight.

* * *

**North: I'll never let those two live it down.**

**Starla: Come on, North.**

**Jack: Would you STOP?!**

**North and Bunny: *laughs hysterically* **

**Me: *joins in like the cruel person I am***

**Jack: Shut up, Crystal.**

**Me: I can ERASE you from this story. *whispers to readers: but you know I'd never do that!* **

**Jack: Okay, okay, sorry, Crystal. **

**Me: Almighty QUEEN Crystal. **

**Jack: ...**

**Me: Getting out the eraser. **

**Jack: ALMIGHTY QUEEN CRYSTAL.**

**Please review, guys! Thanks for all the amazing support!  
****Until next time!  
****Byeee!**

**xx, Crystal **


	20. Love Messages

**Okay. I know you guys are gonna hate me for this one. **

**This is A SUPER SUPER SUPER short chapter. It's like, so short it wasn't even funny. It's like one of those filler chapters, with an idea I kinda just wanted to get across. But I'd REALLY appreciate feedback on it to see how you liked the StarJack fluff. :) ****The next chapter will be longer, I promise.  
**

**Tooth: Yay for Guardian Sledding Time!  
****Me: Yup. Exactly. **

**Okay, so thanks to Melantha Frost, Amberflame805, Fandomrandom, ZambleTheZombie, and Phantom Of the Black Pearl for their amazing reviews!  
****Enjoy the chapter!  
****-xx, Crystal**

* * *

"Hey. Wake up."  
Starla opened her eyes slowly, cautiously. "Who's there?"  
"Me."  
"Jack?"  
"Yeah. It's Jack."  
"Jack."  
"Yeah?"  
"It's like two o'clock in the morning."  
"I know."  
Starla covered her face with her hands. "Is there something wrong?"  
"No...I need to show you something."  
Starla was incredulous. "_Now_? Jack, I'm tired."  
"Are you kidding? Spirits don't sleep."  
"I've had a long week!" Starla grabbed Jack's arms. "I'm tired. And sleepy."  
Jack chuckled. "Well, you can go to sleep after I show you something."  
"Tell me what it is."  
"I have to _show you_." Jack pulled Starla up out of bed. She sat on the edge and wrapped her arms around his neck. She breathed in his minty scent. "Ohhh, Jack."

"Come on." Jack took her hand and began to fly towards the window.

"It's _outside_?" Starla paused.

"Yeah."  
"Jack—"

"You'll love it."  
Starla leaned close. "_Promise _that I'll love it."  
"I promise that you'll love it."  
"And if I don't?"  
He grinned. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"How much _longer_?"

Jack glanced over his shoulder. "Patience, Firefly."  
"Jaaaaaaack—"

Jack laughed. "It's a _present_ I'm giving you. Be happy."  
Starla smiled. "I am, Jack. I just wish this wasn't one of those presents that people give you at midnight." She arched an eyebrow.

Jack turned to her. "We're here."  
"Oh!" Starla stopped flying. Jack grasped Starla's hands and placed them over her eyes.

"Really? I can't look?" Starla giggled.

"Look and I won't let you have the surprise." Jack's excited voice whispered near her ear.

Shivers ran up and down Starla's spine. "Okay." She closed her eyes.

"Follow my voice!" Jack darted ahead.

Starla followed, bumping into walls and roofs and all sorts of things. "Jack, I can't _see_."  
"Yeah, obviously." Jack's voice was dry. He grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way of a random tree.

"Okay, stop!" Jack prevented her. "We're here. But we're flying up now, okay?"  
"Flying _up_? Where are you taking me?"  
"You'll see." Jack laughed and pulled her upwards slowly.

"Jack, are we in a _tree_?"  
"What do you think?"  
Starla felt leaves all around her, and she sucked in air as Jack finally permitted her to remove her hands from her face. "Look." He pointed.

Starla gasped as she saw Burgess Lake.

It was completely frozen over, and carved it into it was "I Love You."  
Starla stared at it for a long time. She didn't notice she was crying until Jack awkwardly rubbed her shoulder.  
"You _did this_?" she whispered.

He smirked. "And to think you complained about coming all the way down here."  
"Wow. God, I'll never complain again." Starla hugged Jack tightly. "But Jack," she said.

"Mmm?"  
"I _do _have something to say back."  
He grinned at her. "Yeah?"  
"Yeah."  
"Go for it."  
Starla swooped off the tree into the sky and released light from her palms as she flew up straight into the air. Straight up, cut off the light. Move over. Straight down, to the side. Full circle. Diagonal line, another diagonal line. She carried on like that until she had completed her message.

Jack laughed when she returned to her perch on the tree with Jack.

"I love you too," he read out loud, then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks."  
Starla smiled up at the two messages glittering before them.

"I'll take you home." Jack stood up on the branch.

"No," Starla said finally. "I'm happy right here."  
Jack grinned. "Okay." He sat down next to her on the tree branch.

She rested her head on his shoulder, and then closed her eyes.

* * *

**Until next time guys!  
Byeeeeee!  
**

**xx, Crystal **


	21. Sledding, Training, and Prepping For War

**This is just a filler chapter. I just wanted to update, I hope you guys like it!  
Thanks to Amberflame805 for your review!  
Enjoy the chapter. **

**xx, Crystal **

* * *

Starla stared down at the sparkly slope of powdery white. It glittered under a bright morning sun that was partially covered by a layer of misty clouds, and beckoned welcomingly to the odd group of six clustered atop the hill, carrying a large yellow sled.

"Okay," said Jack uneasily. "So how do we do this?"  
"Ve get in sled," said North slowly. "And ve push off down hill. How much more physics could there be to it?"  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jack said. "Who's up for a first ride?"  
"You should go first!" offered Tooth. "It's your sled."  
Jack chuckled modestly. "Okay. Pile in, then, you guys."

But the sled could not fit all of them, so Starla and Sandy squeezed in behind Jack. Sandy put his arms in the air. Starla awkwardly put her arms around Jack's waist.

She saw Jack chuckle, and Starla squeezed a little harder, inching closer to him.

"North, give us a push," Jack commanded.

"Okie dokie." North edged close to the side of the yellow sled, grabbed it firmly with his pink hands and gave it a shove down the hill.

It was like flying, but feeling the ground scrape underneath you. Powdery white snow flew up from before the sled, freezing their faces. Starla screamed and tightened her grip on Jack as the sled soared into the air, freezing in time for a few seconds before smashing into a snowdrift. Starla vanished into an enormous pile, Sandy's golden head bobbed above a few layers of powdery white, and Jack laughed, using his ice staff to dig himself out of the snowdrift.

"_Whoa_!" cried Jack. "North, Tooth, Kangaroo, you guys have to try this!"  
He hauled the sled back up to the top of the hill, and North and Tooth clamored on, Tooth bouncing excitedly. Starla and Sandy got out of the way.  
"Nah, mate, I don't think this..._sled_ is very safe." Bunny nervously tapped the yellow sled with his big feet.  
"It's safe! Go on!" Jack urged him. "Come on, Kangaroo, don't be a scaredy-cat."  
Bunny glowered. "You were _plunged _into about 20 feet of snow!"

"20 feet?" Starla giggled. "Bunny, it was like five feet, tops!"  
Bunny rolled his eyes. "But I still don't think—crikey!" North yanked Bunny into the sled, and Jack shoved them off with the side of his ice staff. The sled went sailing down with Bunny screaming very un-Bunnylike screams, and screeching curses in Australian.

Starla laughed. "You're horrible! Poor Bunny."  
Jack grinned and wrapped an arm casually around Starla's shoulders. Sandy made a golden sand heart above his head, and Starla blushed.

Jack gave Sandy a thumbs up.

"How was the ride?" Starla yelled down to Tooth, North, and Bunny.

North staggered out of the snowdrift, laughing. "Vat is the vord? This was..._EPIC_!"  
Tooth burst out laughing and flew straight up, her colorful hummingbird wings going berserk. "This was amazing!"  
"Bunny?" Starla questioned, staring at the pile of gray fur with the head buried in a foot of snow.

Bunny raised his head slowly and gave them a tiny smile. "Not too bad."

Jack let out a whoop. "AGAIN!"  
"I second that!" North grabbed the sled and he and Bunny hauled it back up the hill for another run.

* * *

"Ve need to find you a weapon." North was staring at Starla, taking every part of her in.

Starla sucked in air. "North—I really don't want a—"

"Nonsense!" North cried, flapping his hand. "See: I haff my swords. Tooth has her wand. Bunny has his boomerangs. Jack has his ice staff. Sandy...Sandy has golden whips, which count as veapons. Vat do _you _have?"  
"I'm fine without a weapon!" Starla insisted.  
"No, vat you are is _vulnerable_ vithout a veapon!" North clarified.

Starla sighed. "So what are you saying? I charge into battle with Russian swords? A spear? A bow and arrow? None of those are _me_, North."  
North scratched his chin. "Vell. I have lots of spare veapons ve can Starla-ize in the basement of the Pole. Let us go see."  
Down in the dank and smelly basement, Starla looked at all the scraps of wood and metal and things North used to make his toys.

"Veapons!" North pulled out a giant box, and the Guardians clustered around it.

"Bow and arrow?"  
"No!" Starla shook her head.  
"Dagger." Bunny raised a dagger.  
"Umm." Starla shrugged. "I don't think so."

Tooth raised her hand. "How about a shield, Starla?"  
Starla shook her head uneasily. "I don't think I want to carry a shield into battle with me."  
Sandy raised a handgun.

"Oh, goodness, Sandy." North pushed the handgun back down. "Vere did you find _that_?"  
Starla laughed. "No, Sandy. No handgun for me." She sighed. "How about we settle for some armor? North? Is that good?"  
North stared at her. "Armor?"  
"Yeah. I mean, I'm fine with nothing, but if you want, you can suit me up with some armor."

North took a deep breath. "Armor. Hmmm, armor. How about a breastplate?"  
Jack coughed.

"Um." Starla rolled her eyes. "North, how about some different _clothes_?" She gestured to her thin white dress. "I don't think this will work if I'm going to fight a battle. It'll totally mess up."  
"It'll rip right off." North nodded.

Jack turned pale, and coughed even more.  
"God, Jack." Starla playfully shoved him.

"Sorry." Jack turned red.

North rumaged around and finally looked thoughtfully at Starla. "Vhy don't you train with Jack and Bunny and Tooth and Sandy for now, and I'll bring you an outfit soon."  
Starla nodded, agreeing. "Okay. That's fine."  
In the training room, Starla dodged, attacked, feinted, spun, and practiced flying (for no particular reason) until she was bone tired and aching.

"Can we stop?" she begged, sweaty and blotchy and not at all like her real actual self.

"I have your outfit!" North yelled, walking in. "Here. I tailored an old outfit of a friend's."  
"This used to be Holly's!" Tooth flew over to North.  
North sighed.

"Who's Holly?" Starla blinked.

"North's old love," Bunny said finally after a long pause.  
"North, are you sure you're okay with me—" Starla began.

"Vear it," North said bluntly. "Try it on."  
Starla disappeared into a side room, pulling off the her precious white spaghetti strap dress, pulling her floaty blonde hair over one shoulder. She pulled on a midriff-revealing shirt that clung to her body and started from right above her navel and stretched towards her shoulders, where they expanded into a strange design that looked like tiny wings for her shoulders.

The back was low cut in a squared off way, and she stared down at what else she had to wear.

Tight fitting white caprice, with a gold design on the right thigh. Starla took a deep breath and pulled the caprice on. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, pulled out a few wisps to frame her face, and then stepped outside. "How do I look?"  
Jack blinked.

Tooth gasped, and then smiled.

North smiled with his eyes, and Bunny nodded. "That's the one."  
"Whaddaya mean?" Starla searched everyone's eyes.

"That's the armor," said Bunny. "This is what you have to wear. It's just..."  
"It's Starla," Jack said finally. "It's _you_."  
Starla smiled, looked down and nodded.  
"We're ready."

* * *

**Oooh. What a freakin' dramatic ending. Praise to the drama queen Crystal. Anyway. I'll update as soon as I can, but I'm really busy doing some other work over the summer. **

**So please review, and stay tuned for Chapter 22 coming up later. **

**Until next time!  
Byeeee!**

**xx, Crystal **


	22. Pre-Battle Jitters

**Another short, filler chapter to hold out on the drama and Big Battle coming up with Pitch. But the Battle is in the next chapter, I promise. I'll write it ASAP. *smirks* (that's a chapter reference, btw. Try and find it. ****) **

**Thanks to Amberflame805, ZambleTheZombie, Melantha Frost, and Lightningfarron6 for their amazing and inspirational reviews. **

**Enjoy the chapter!  
**

**Xx, Crystal **

* * *

"At least try!"

Starla shook her head. "Listen, I _can't_. I've tried with every freaking muscle in my body and I really can't do this. I would if I could but—"

"Come on!" Jack urged her. "We saw you do this power back in Pitch's lair. The light shield thing."  
"I don't know why I can't do it _now_," Starla said finally. "But I can't do it. I can't get enough power to create the shield."  
"It could be very valuable in battle," North explained. "But if you cannot, it is alright. Ve overlook."  
"No, we don't overlook!" Jack exclaimed. "Starla, we _need _this! This light shield could be the key to our victory in battle with Pitch. Try to block against my ice—maybe an automatic reaction will work."  
Jack shot ice at Starla, and she held up her hands in a feeble attempt to stop the ice. Instead, it cracked against her hands, creating an almost electrical spark, throwing Jack off balance as well as toppling her backwards into North's poker table, causing it to overturn and Starla to tumble onto the floor, smacking her head against the edge of the desk.

"Ow." Starla rubbed the back of her head and sat up, glaring at Jack. "I TOLD YOU!"  
"You didn't even try!" Jack shot back.  
"Jack, stop it!" Tooth flew in between, pulling Starla up by her arm. "Why is it so important to you that Starla creates a light shield?"  
"Remember how many of us were hurt last time we waged battle against Pitch? Remember how hard it was? Maybe if we had a kind of surprise thing that Pitch doesn't know about, it would be sort of easier to win a fight against him." Jack glowered at Starla, who glowered right back.  
"Jack, we have another Guardian. The end!" Bunny shouted. "That's all we need!"  
"Are you sure?!" Jack yelled. "Two days ago, you were _comatose_!"

Bunny stopped. "It's on, mate."

North held Bunny back.

"Jack, quit it!" Tooth flew forward into Jack's face, the first time she ever publicly showed anger. "do you realize how ridiculous you sound? Huh? _Do you_? Asking Starla to do something she really can't do to gain victory? We are the Guardians, and _we _will triumph, not Pitch."  
The Guardians stared at Tooth in shock.

Jack reeled backwards as Tooth waved her hand accusingly in the air. "Tooth—"

She stared at him. "Ohmygosh—I'm so sorry Jack," she whispered. "I just—I can't _stand _unbelief. I want you to belief in _us_, in the Guardians, and I—" She placed her hand over her mouth and uttered a soft gasp.

North stared at the ground, and Bunny glared at Jack.

Jack finally looked at Starla. "Starla—" he began.  
"I'm fine." She brushed it off and surveyed the dismayed Guardians. "Really?" she demanded.

"Vat?" North blinked.

"Really—you guys are fighting already? We need unity if we're gonna fight Pitch! Look at us—we can't even train for seconds without biting each other's heads off."  
"I'm hungry," North blurted.  
Nobody else moved.

"I think we all need to clear our heads." Tooth sighed. "This whole training together thing isn't really working."

_It's nerves_, Sandy offered. _Because we're all so nervous about fighting Pitch. _

"We shouldn't be," Starla insisted. "We're an amazing team. And we can do anything. We conquered the shadows for now, and we will again when we fight Pitch."  
North nodded. "I believe you."  
Tooth sighed. "I hate unbelief. I'm sorry I snapped."  
Starla rubbed Tooth's arm.

Sandy took a deep breath and blew air out through his cheeks, scratching his golden spiky hair.

Bunny sat down and scratched the side of his face with his hind leg.

"STOP THAT YOU KNOW I HATE IT!" bellowed North.

"_North_!" Starla smacked her forehead.

"Vat? It is vone of my pet peeves. Vhen he scratches himself."  
"Stop scratching yourself, Bunny," Tooth said vaguely, always the peacemaker.

Bunny scratched harder.

"THAT IS _IT_!" North started forward.

Jack flew in front of him, shooting ice at his feet in instants to freeze North to his spot.  
"Ha." Bunny grinned at Jack, and Jack whirled around to freeze Bunny's feet too.  
"Don't you dare, Frosty the—"

"Alright, stop it!" Starla put both of her hands on Jack's shoulders to to stop him. "Enough, both of you."

"So what do we do?" Tooth demanded. "When do we attack Pitch?"  
"ASAP." North gave them a thumbs up.  
"What in hell does 'at mean?" Bunny raised his eyebrows.

North sighed. "Quit scratching your furry self and I'll tell you."  
Bunny stopped. "Fine."  
"ASAP," North took a deep breath. "As soon as possible. Ve attack tonight, vhen the moon is full and Pitch is in town trying to wreak havoc on the good dreams of all children everywhere."  
"You mean in Burgess?" Jack blinked.

"Yes." North nodded. "Ve have a new Guardian, and ve are ready to..."  
Bunny grinned. "Rock n' roll, mates. Rock n' roll."

* * *

**Sorry for that corny ending. I had no clue how to end it, and I know this chapter was unbearably short. But you can thank my awesome cousin Kieran for begging for an update, because I am on a TOTAL writer's block, you guys! Hopefully my inspiration will come back and I can write the fight awesomely in the next chapter! Big drama coming up in the final battle with Pitch! **

**Until next update!  
Byee!**

**Xx, Crystal **


	23. Light Against Darkness

**Thank you all for being so patient with me through my horrible sucky writer's block phases. This is a long chapter, and the battle chapter. There's a bit more of the battle to be covered in the next chapter, but most of the drama is RIGHT HERE! So yay! **

**I watched ROTG to get some inspiration and THANK GOODNESS it worked, so I'm back with more Jack Frostiness and Starla-ness to make you all happy. :) **

**So, I have some bad news...I'm going to be having SUCH a busy schedule that I won't be updating for the next TWO WEEKS. I'm sorry. The summer's almost over, and school will be back on soon...and I shudder to think of my updating schedule THEN. Yikes. Yeah. But after two weeks, Lights will continue again, I promise.****Thanks to Lightningfarron6, Amberflame805, WhovianNightFury13, Sonjarules, and Melantha Frost for their inspiring and amazing reviews. Please keep reviewing you guys, and enjoy this chapter!  
****xx, Crystal **

* * *

The night was silent. A bright full moon hung in the frosty air as the Guardians headed for the little town of Burgess.

Jack flew high over the frozen lake where skating kids had in a way, erased his message to Starla. He glanced at her, and she was looking at the sparkling lake, and then she looked back up at him and smiled reassuringly.

Jack grinned and ducked his head, leading the way into town.

"I can _smell_ those Nightmares," snarled North in the sleigh. "I can feel them...in my belly!"  
"Nah, mate." Bunny wrinkled his nose. "That's the few thousand cookies you ate before we left today."  
North rolled his merry blue eyes and Tooth found herself breaking the intense silence with her light, nervous butterflies-in-my-stomach laughter.

"Look." Starla pointed, turning to Sandy to indicate the darkness sweeping over the houses. "Pitch is here." North narrowed his bushy white eyebrows.

"Let's split up." Jack gripped his staff and shot skyward.  
"No!" Bunny held up his furry paws. "Splitting up got me and Tooth shot down by the shadows before. Us Guardians, we stick togetha'! All for one and one for all! We will care for the childrens' every need and we won't let them down!"  
"We sound like an insurance company." Jack said flatly. "We want to kill Pitch and—"

"But the eensy weensy detail you are forgetting," said North through gritted teeth. "is that Pitch cannot be killed."  
Starla pinched the space between her eyebrows. "Can he be killed, like, temporarily?"  
_Light against darkness_. Sandy grinned at Starla.

Starla sighed. "Sandy, what if I can't—"

_Think positive_. Sandy gave her a thumbs up.

Starla sighed again. "Yeah but—"

Tooth curled her legs under in midair, scrunching her face as she searched the dark. "We gotta go. We have to help those kids!"  
"Okay," North pointed. "Let's get going."  
The bright red sleigh coursed through the night like a crimson shooting star towards the buildings nestled in the distance.

* * *

"Where _are they_?" A shocked Tooth spun around in the blackness, trying to find the shadows.

"I don't see any, mate!" Bunny looked up at North. North blinked in the night, wandering about, looking for the shadows.

Starla tugged on her ponytail nervously. "They're here, they're just—"

"HEY!"  
Jack's cry brought the Guardians to reality as the spun around to see about fifty Nightmares advancing on them, amber eyes glowing, black smoky hair flying in the cold wind.

Tooth was shaking next to Starla, probably remembering her last experience with the shadow-stealing monsters, and Pitch's cold cruel laugh cut through the night sky.

"Starla, your call." North looked down at her. "Are you alright?"  
Starla couldn't form words with her mouth. Like a clump of coal, they were stuck in the back of her throat and she wasn't able to bring it out.

"I—" She stopped and drifted a bit upward, practically tasting the January frost in the air.

North looked meaningfully at Jack and he pulled out his swords. "Tooth, Bunny, Sandy," he said, pointing at the Nightmares. "Let's do this."  
"I'll go with you." Jack touched Starla's arm.

She flinched.

Jack pulled back automatically, sighing deeply. "Starla—"

"I'm scared."  
Jack whirled aroud to face her. "What?"  
"I'm—I'm scared."  
It was the first time Starla had openly admitted that she was afraid, and Jack felt something comforting that she was finally opening up and letting him know her true feelings at the moment. Jack moved close to her, placing both of his hands on her shoulders, and whispered: "Me too."  
Starla looked up. "You are?"  
"You're not alone," Jack said softly. "It's important that you know that. I'm scared, but I know I'm part of a team that will get me out of this in one piece. And you should know that you have people right behind you who will back you up. And I'll be there, fighting next to you, and I won't leave you, not for a second."  
Starla wiped her eyes. "You won't?"  
"Not for a second," Jack promised again.

Starla took a deep breath. "Thank you, Jack. I'll be honored to fight by your side."  
"Great!" yelled Bunny as he sliced a Nightmare clear in half with his boomerang. "We're all honored to fight by each other's side. Now get onto Pitch, mates!"  
Jack grinned. "Let's have some fun with him!" He shot into the air, and Starla followed, a smile beginning to blossom on her once-nervous face.

"PITCH!" called Jack. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"  
Pitch glided out from behind a giant Nightmare.

Jack stopped in midair, and Starla crashed into his back. Jack pulled out his ice staff, and Starla in her new shining armor, stepped up near Pitch, her blonde ponytail swinging.

Pitch blinked. "Oh—Miss Lights got a makeover."  
"Miss Lights got _training_," Starla challenged Pitch. "Miss Lights can kick your butt."

Pitch smiled, but not a good smile. "Okay, then, Miss Lights. Let's see how great you've become over the last few days."  
Starla shot light at Pitch as fast as she could, and he dove aside, but pulled away, blocked by Jack's lightning-quick blasts of ice.

As Pitch tried to dodge, Starla went around, light shooting from her palms.

"Agh!" Pitch dove aside, but Jack was in front of him.

"Starla!" Tooth screamed. It was a shrill scream and Starla whirled around to see Nightmares attacking Tooth as well as North. It seemed Sandy and Bunny were holding them off pretty well. Starla flew downwards, light shooting three Nightmares in half.

"Yess!" North pumped his fists in the air as he got back up and grabbed his swords, taking down two Nightmares. Tooth flew free, exercising her colorful wings. "Thanks, Starla!"  
"No problem." Starla turned around to try and find Jack again.

When she reached back in the clouds, where Jack and Pitch had been battling, she saw Jack's hand pinned down to a tree by a shadow, and Nightmares crowding around him. Pitch stood in the middle, a triumphant smile on his face, and he raised his hands, blackness swirling at his palms like mini tornados.  
"Jack Frost—" he began.

Starla shot forward, without a single word, straight through the Nightmares, almost like a rod of peace, glowing brightly, disintegrating shadows, straight in front of Jack, held up her hands, and just as Pitch shot forward his darkness, Starla blocked it, the light creating a shield.

The darkness banged off of it, and Starla was nearly knocked off her feet. She staggered backwards, shocked.  
Jack grabbed her around the waist, holding her tight, his chin on her shoulder as the darkness just enveloped them both. Starla whimpered, but kept her hands up, until she heard Pitch yell, and she saw Pitch bounce backwards against a tree.

Starla let out a breath and let the light fade. Jack didn't let go of her waist.

"Jack!" called North. "Jack, ve need help!"

Jack didn't leave. "Are you okay?"  
Starla nodded slowly, trying to relax. _It's over for now_.

"Thanks, Starla." Jack was still holding onto her. "Starla?" He cupped her face in his hands.  
Starla was shaking.  
"I'll stay with you—" Jack began.

"No, you don't have to." Starla struggled to breathe.  
"JACK! HELP, MATE!"

"I promised you I wouldn't leave you!" Jack argued.

"Go! They need you!" Starla held his wrists. "Just go! I got this."  
"Are you sure?" Jack didn't look convinced. "You're really weak right now and—"

"_Go_, I'm okay."  
Jack headed down, but he whirled around a few feet away. "I'll be back, Starla! You'll be okay!"  
"Yeah." Starla nodded. Her energy was drained, but that wasn't going to stop her from stopping Pitch.  
Pitch rubbed the back of his head. "So, Miss Lights. You _have _gotten stronger."  
"Better believe it." Starla advanced.  
"Stay back." Pitch held out his hands. "I can easily stop you."  
"Face it, Pitch." Starla glared. "It's over, okay?" But she knew what she had to do to save those shadows—kill him, at least temporarily. Light against darkness, Sandy was right, she could at least try.

Suddenly, Pitch held up his hands, ducking his head. "Alright, alright. I—I surrender."  
Starla blinked. "You—you what?"  
"Yes. I surrender. I give up. Just let me—just let me go." Pitch tried to move around her, and Starla stared at him, shocked, and she still held out her hands, about to shoot at him.

"I know you want to stop the darkness. So I'll tell you what." Pitch glared. "You can take all the darkness—_for yourself_."

Pitch pushed all the darkness he could at Starla. Starla was blasted backwards against a tree. Within seconds, she felt the excruciating pain as her shadow began to be pulled out. Starla began to scream, because she had no clue what to do.

"_Jack_!" Starla screamed as she slid down, following. Her shadow was flapping like a fish, and the sight of it made Starla's blood curdle.

"Starla!" Jack was right next to her, shooting ice at Pitch. He backed off, and her shadow slithered back into her.

Without a single word, Starla raised her hands and released a huge beam of light at Pitch.

There was a scream, and then Starla dropped to the ground and her eyes closed.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the cliffhanger, and I'm so sorry that you'll have to live with it for the next two weeks. :( But I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hope you review! It makes me REALLY happy while I'm living in this topsy-turvy insane and random life of mine! :)  
**

**Until the next update!  
****Byeee!  
****xx, Crystal **


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